HD 


UC-NRLI 


SB    IS    3bb 


HOW  THE   GOVERNMENT 

HANDLED  ITS  LABOR 

PROBLEMS  DURING 

THE  WAR 


HANDBOOK 

of  the  Organizations 
associated  with  the 

National  Labor  Administration 


With  Notes  on  their 
Personnel,  Functions  and  Policies 


PREPARED    BY 

The  Bureau  of  Industrial  Research 

1722  H  Street,  N.  W. 
Washington,  D.  C. 


Price  Twenty-five  Cents  a  Copy 


Copyright,  1919,  by 

The  Bureau  of  Industrial  Research 

1722  H.  Street,  N.  W. 

Washington,  D.  C. 


,    • 

' 


Table  of  Contents 


PAGE 

DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR  . 4 

Labor  Administrator 4 

Labor  Cabinet 5 

Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics 5 

Bureau  of  Immigration 5 

Bureau  of  Naturalization 5 

Children's  Bureau 5 

Labor  Adjustment  Service 6 

Employment  Service 6 

Information  and  Education  Service 7 

Training  and  Dilution  Service jjl 

Working  Conditions  Service \g 

Investigation  and  Inspection  Service 8 

Bureau  of  Industrial  Housing  and  Transportation               ,  8 

Woman  in  Industry  Service 9 

War  Labor  Policies  Board .      .  10 

Creation IO 

Jurisdiction  and  Function IO 

Personnel  and  Organization II 

Policies 12 

Machinery  for  Application  and  Enforcement 12 

War  Labor  Conference  Board 12 

Creation 12 

Personnel 13 

Function 13 

NATIONAL  WAR  LABOR  BOARD 13 

Creation 13 

Personnel 14 

Principles  and  Policies 15 

Purpose  and  Function 17 

Application  and  Enforcement  of  Awards 19 

Important  Awards 19 

WAR  DEPARTMENT 21 

General  Orders  #58 21 


••  •  "•       "••'  :  :•*:  PAGE 

Ordnahce  Bureau:     Production  Division     ......     21 


..........  21 

'Creation    *.**    .............  21 

Purpose  and  Function     ..........  21 

Policies      ..............  22 

General  Orders  #13   .....      .......  22 

Women's  Branch  .............  23 

Application  and  Enforcement       ..........  23 

Quartermaster's  Bureau       ...........  24 

Industrial  Relations  Branch    ..........  24 

Board  for  Control  of  Labor  Standards  in  Army  Clothing     .      .  24 

Harness  and  Saddlery  Adjustment  Commission     ....  24 

Creation      ...............  24 

Personnel    ...............  24 

Purpose  and  Function       ...........  25 

Application  and  Enforcement       .........  26 

Aircraft  Production  Board  ...........  27 

Industrial  Relations  Department  .........  27 

Creation    ..............  27 

Personnel        .............  27 

Policies      ...      ...........  27 

Application  and  Enforcement  of  Awards     .....  28 

Cantonment  Adjustment  Commission       .......  28 

Creation      ...............  28 

Personnel    ...............  28 

Function  and  Principles     ...........  '28 

Extensions  ...............  29 

Navy  Construction      ............  29 

Emergency  Construction  Adjustment  Commission     ...  29 

Personnel    ...............  29 

Jurisdiction  and  Function       ..........  29 

NAVY  DEPARTMENT       ............  30 

UNITED  STATES  SHIPPING  BOARD  AND  EMERGENCY 

FLEET  CORPORATION       ......  31 

National   Adjustment   Commission     ......      .      .  31 

Creation:     Longshoremen's  Agreement  .......  31 

Personnel    ...............  32 

Functions    ...............  32 

Policies        .      .      .............  32 

Marine  and  Dock  Industrial  Relations  Division       ....  33 

Seamen's  Agreement       ...      .........  34 


PAGE 

Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment   Board   of  the   Emergency 

Fleet  Corporation 35 

Creation 35 

Personnel 35 

Function 36 

Application,  Enforcement  and  Appeal 37 

Industrial  Relations  Division  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Cor- 
poration          38 

Industrial  Service  Section 38 

Health  and  Sanitation  Section 38 

Education  and  Training  Section 39 

Labor  Administration  Section 39 

Safety  Engineering  Section 39 

UNITED  STATES  RAILROAD  ADMINISTRATION  ...  40 

Division  of  Labor 40 

Personnel 40 

Purpose  and  Function 40 

Railroad  Wage  Commission 41 

Creation 41 

Board  of  Railroad  Wages  and  Working  Conditions     ...  42 

Purpose,  Function  and  Personnel 42 

Board  of  Adjustment  No.  i 43 

Board  of  Adjustment  No.  2 44 

Creation 44 

Personnel 44 

Purpose  and  Function 44 

Railroad  Board  of  Adjustment  No.  3 44 

Women's  Service  Section 45 

UNITED  STATES  FUEL  ADMINISTRATION  .....  46 

Bureau  of  Labor •  ...  46 

Creation 46 

Policies 46 

A  Message  to  Mine  Workers 47 

Mine  Committees 48 

UNITED  STATES  FOOD  ADMINISTRATION 49 

Bureau  of  Labor 49 


[3] 


DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR  * 

Secretary  of  Labor:  W.  B.  Wilson 
Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor:  Louis  F.  Post 

THE  Department  of  Labor,  which  formed  the  nucleus  and 
the  more  permanent  portion  of  the  War  Labor  Adminis- 
tration, had  been  in  existence  since  1913,  at  which  time  the 
former  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  was  resolved  into 
two  separate  departments,  each  carrying  a  cabinet  membership. 
Previous  to  the  war  the  only  Government  agencies  for  dealing  with 
labor  problems  and  with  industrial  disputes  were  the  various  bureaus 
of  this  department.  The  bureaus  at  that  time  were  four  in  num- 
ber, namely,  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics,  Bureau  of  Immigration, 
Bureau  of  Naturalization  and  the  Children's  Bureau.  To  these 
were  added  a  Division  of  Conciliation  and  Mediation,  carrying  out 
the  powers  which  were  vested  in  the  Secretary  under  the  act  creating 
the  Department. 

The  Department  expanded  rapidly  during  the  war  and  many 
new  divisions  were  brought  into  existence  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
war  emergency  and  the  growing  demand  for  industrial  efficiency. 

Labor  Administrator : 

In  addition  to  mere  increase  in  the  number  of  bureaus,  the  De- 
partment took  on  a  new  importance  in  that  Secretary  of  Labor 
Wilson  was  appointed  by  the  President  to  act  as  War  Labor 
Administrator,  a  power  which  he  subsequently  exercised  in  large 
measure  through  Mr.  Frankfurter,  the  Chairman  of  the  War  Labor 
Policies  Board.  Thus  Mr.  Wilson  combined  in  himself  a  dual 
authority.  He  acted  in  his  normal  capacity  as  Secretary  of  La- 
bor and  also  exercised  extraordinary  prerogatives  as  director 
of  emergency  policies.  Similarly,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
important  divisions  of  the  Department  of  Labor  in  addition  to  carry- 
ing on  their  normal  work  also  served  as  units  in  the  War  Labor 
Administration. 


*  The  following  outline  shows  the  composition  and  indicates  briefly  the  type  of  work 
carried  out  by  the  divisions  of  the  Department.  The  first  four  divisions  were  in  exist- 
ence prior  to  our  entry  into  the  war;  the  remainder  were  reorganized  or  created  since 
January  i,  1918.  The  future  status  of  the  new  divisions  is  still  undetermined. 

W 


Labor  Cabinet 

The  co-ordination  of  the  work  of  the  various  divisions  and 
bureaus  of  the  Department  of  Labor  as  parts  of  this  War  Labor 
Administration  were  carried  out  through  weekly  meetings  of  their 
heads  in  a  so-called  Labor  Cabinet. 

Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  * : 

Royal  C.  Meeker,  Commissioner. 

Its  function  is  to  acquire  and  diffuse  useful  information  on  sub- 
jects connected  with  labor's  relations  with  capital,  hours  of  work, 
wages  and  earnings,  prices  of  food  and  commodities.  It  reports 
its  investigations  through  a  publication  The  Monthly  Labor  Review 
(formerly  called  the  Monthly  Review  of  the  Bureau  of  Labor 
Statistics)  as  well  as  through  a  series  of  bulletins. 

Bureau  of  Immigration: 

Anthony  Caminetti,  Commissioner  General. 

This  Bureau  is  charged  with  the  administration  of  laws  relat- 
ing to  immigration  and  the  Chinese  exclusion  law.  It  investigates 
violations  of  the  alien  contracts  law.  Since  the  war  it  has  had 
charge  of  detention  camps  for  alien  enemies.  A  Division  of  In- 
formation of  this  Bureau  has  been  engaged  in  gathering  information 
with  regard  to  opportunities  for  employment  of  immigrants,  a 
work  now  cared  for  by  the  Employment  Service. 

Bureau  of  Naturalization: 

Richard  K.  Campbell,  Commissioner. 

This  Bureau  supervises  work  in  connection  with  applications  for 
naturalization  submitted  to  the  designated  courts  in  the  states  and 
territories.  It  co-operates  with  public  schools  in  disseminating 
information  concerning  citizenship  and  civics. 

Children's  Bureau: 

Miss  Julia  C.  Lathrop,  Chief. 

This  Bureau  is  authorized  to  investigate  and  report  upon  all 
matters  pertaining  to  children  and  child  life.  Much  of  its  activity 


*  This  Bureau  no  longer  investigates  and  awards  compensation  for  injuries  to  federal 
employees,  a  work  which  it  carried  on  prior  to  the  creation  of  the  United  States  Em- 
ployees' Compensation  Commission  on  September  7,  1916. 

[s] 


has  been  devoted  to  the  protection  of  children  in  industry.  It 
was  charged  with  enforcing  the  provisions  of  the  Federal  Child 
Labor  Law  which  became  effective  on  September  i,  1917.  When 
this  law  was  declared  unconstitutional  by  the  Supreme  Court  on 
June  3,  1918,  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board  directed  that  safe- 
guards practically  identical  with  the  provisions  of  the  law  be 
adhered  to  in  all  Government  controlled  industries  and  that  these 
provisions  be  written  into  all  Government  contracts.  The  Chil- 
dren's Bureau  was  declared  the  instrument  for  their  enforcement. 

Labor  Adjustment  Service: 

Hugh  L.  Kerwin,  Director. 

This  Service  was  organized  to  carry  on  the  work  of  media- 
tion and  conciliation  formerly  conducted  by  the  Division  of  Con- 
ciliation in  the  Department  of  Labor.  It  was  never  operated 
where  the  work  of  conciliation  was  already  provided  for  through 
some  special  body  as,  for  example,  the  Shipbuilding  Labor  Ad- 
justment Board  in  the  shipbuilding  industry,  or  the  Industrial 
Service  Section  of  the  Ordnance  Bureau  in  munition  plants,  or  the 
Railway  Adjustment  Commission.  The  functions  of  the  National 
War  Labor  Board  should  not  be  confused  with  those  of  this  Serv- 
ice. The  former  was  primarily  a  court  of  appeals  to  decide  ques- 
tions at  issue  between  employers  and  employees  where  adjustments 
had  not  been  reached  through  the  machinery  of  existing  agree- 
ments or  law.  Thus  the  case  of  the  Philadelphia  street  railway 
strike  was  referred  to  and  settled  by  the  National  War  Labor  Board 
after  the  conciliators  from  the  Department  of  Labor  had  failed  to 
establish  an  agreement.  The  Service  had  little  or  no  power  for  en- 
forcing its  decisions.  The  act  creating  the  Department  of  Labor 
says,  "  The  Secretary  of  Labor  shall  have  power  to  act  as  mediator 
and  to  appoint  commissioners  of  conciliation  in  labor  disputes  when- 
ever in  his  judgment  the  interests  of  industrial  peace  may  require  it 
to  be  done."  In  carrying  out  this  power  the  Department  neither 
dictated  nor  arbitrated  —  it  negotiated  and  recommended. 

Employment  Service: 

John  B.  Densmore,  Director-General. 

The  organization  of  this  Service  under  the  Secretary  of  Labor 
began  on  January  3,  1918,  and  since  underwent  a  rapid  develop- 

[6] 


ment.  It  completely  incorporated  in  itself  the  employment  infor- 
mation service  formerly  conducted  under  the  Bureau  of  Immigra- 
tion. The  most  recent  plan  adopted  by  the  Employment  Service 
for  effective  recruiting  and  placement  of  labor  included  the  organ- 
ization of  State  advisory  boards,  community  labor  boards,  and  State 
organization  committees,  each  composed  of  representatives  of  em- 
ployers and  workers,  and  of  the  United  States  Employment  Service. 
The  purpose  was  to  give  to  employers  and  employees  in  each  State 
and  community  a  voice  in  the  operation  of  the  labor  recruiting  and 
distributing  machinery  of  the  Government  and  also  to  afford  the 
Employment  Service  the  full  benefit  of  the  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience of  local  leaders.  In  effecting  the  establishment  of  local 
agencies  and  in  carrying  out  its  work  this  Service  cooperated  with 
the  Post  Office  Department  and  the  Departments  of  Agriculture, 
Interior  and  Commerce;  with  State  and  city  organizations  for  the 
welfare  of  workers  including  employment  bureaus,  and  with  semi- 
official and  unofficial  agencies  such  as  the  National  Farm  Labor  Ex- 
change and  the  National  Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  Service  dis- 
seminated information  through  the  weekly  United  States  Employ- 
ment Service  Bulletin. 

The  Employment  Service  rapidly  became  an  effective  part  of 
the  War  Labor  Administration.  President  Wilson  by  executive  or- 
der directed  that  after  August  i,  1918,  all  unskilled  male  labor  for 
plants  employing  more  than  100  should  be  recruited  solely  through 
this  Service.  It  was  announced  that  as  the  Service  grew  this 
policy  would  be  extended  to  skilled  as  well  as  unskilled  labor  and 
eventually  to  women  as  well  as  to  men. 

Information  and  Education  Service: 

Roger  W.  Babson,  Director. 

This  Service  was  established  to  develop,  particularly  among 
working  men,  sound  public  sentiment  on  labor  questions  and  the  real 
issues  of  the  war.  To  this  end  it  was  in  cooperation  with  the  Com- 
mittee on  Public  Information.  It  also  aimed  to  secure  exchange  of 
information  among  Services  of  the  Labor  Administration  and  to 
promote  in  industrial  plants  local  machinery  helpful  in  carrying  out 
the  national  labor  program. 


[7] 


Training  and  Dilution  Service: 

Charles  T.  Clayton,  Director. 

This  Service  undertook  to  ascertain  the  best  methods  used  in 
various  plants  and  industrial  establishments  for  training  men  for 
specific  work;  to  ascertain  the  needs  for  such  training;  to  provide 
information  on  this  subject;  and  to  promote  such  training  wherever 
necessary  or  desirable.  It  also  took  up  problems  of  dilution  when 
need  arose. 

The  Service  included  a  division  of  civilian  insignia  by  which  war- 
industry  badges  were  provided  for  industrial  workers.  These  were 
to  be  awarded  civilians  employed  for  four  consecutive  months  or 
more  in  essential  war  industries. 

Working  Conditions  Service: 

Grant  Hamilton,  Director. 

Miss  Florence  Thorne,  Assistant  Director. 

The  function  of  this  Service  was  to  examine  into  and  report  on 
working  conditions,  including  safety,  sanitation,  ventilation,  etc.  It 
was  to  determine  standards  which  should  be  maintained  in  war  indus- 
tries and  to  adopt  and  explain  rules  embodying  such  standards.  It 
acted  in  close  cooperation  with  such  agencies  as  the  UnitecJ  States 
Public  Health  Service  of  the  Treasury  Department  and  the  Bureau 
of  Standards  of  the  Department  of  Commerce. 

Investigation  and  Inspection  Service: 

Ethelbert  Stewart,  Director. 

This  Service  was  organized  in  July,  1918.  Its  purpose  was  to 
make  inspections  and  investigations  on  request  from  other  divisions 
of  the  Department  of  Labor,  and  from  other  Federal  departments. 
This  Service  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  investigative  work  under- 
taken by  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  so  that  they  might  mutually 
supplement  one  another  and  prevent  duplication  of  effort. 

Bureau  of  Industrial  Housing  and  Transportation: 
Otto  M.  Eidlitz,  Director. 

This  Bureau  conducted  its  work  through  the  United  States 
Housing  Corporation  of  the  Department  of  Labor.  The  Cor- 
poration directed  the  expenditure  of  $100,000,000  appropri- 
ated by  Congress  for  the  housing  of  war  workers,  as  well  as  of 

[8] 


the  $60,000,000  expended  for  this  purpose  by  the  United  States 
Shipping  Board.  The  function  of  the  Bureau  was  to  arrange  for 
housing  labor  employed  on  army  and  navy  contracts  by  bringing 
into  use  all  available  dwellings,  by  opening  up  suburbs  through  the 
improvement  of  transportation  facilities,  and  by  constructing  new 
dwellings,  permanent  or  temporary,  where  others  were  not  avail- 
able. 

Woman  in  Industry  Service: 

Miss  Mary  Van  Kleeck,  Director. 

Miss  Mary  Anderson,  Assistant  Director. 

Industrial  problems  involving  women  were  dealt  with  by  Miss 
Van  Kleeck,  by  virtue  of  her  seat  on  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board 
and  as  director  of  the  Woman  in  Industry  Service.  The  imme- 
diate task  of  this  Service  was  to  develop  in  the  industries  of  the  coun- 
try policies  and  methods  which  would  result  in  the  most  effective 
use  of  women's  services  in  production  for  the  war,  while  at  the  same 
time  preventing  their  employment  under  injurious  conditions.  The 
Service  considered  general  policies  with  respect  to  women  in  industry 
and  advised  the  Secretary  of  Labor  as  to  the  policies  which  should 
be  pursued.  It  kept  in  touch  with  the  work  of  the  other  divisions 
of  the  Department  in  so  far  as  they  related  to  women,  and  also  with 
the  women's  departments  of  other  governmental  labor  agencies 
such  as  the  Women's  Branch  of  the  Industrial  Service  Section  of 
Army  Ordnance  and  the  Women's  Service  Section  of  the  United 
States  Railroad  Administration. 

The  Government's  attitude  toward  the  employment  of  women  in 
war  industries  as  adopted  by  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board  is 
briefly  summarized  as: 

Policies:  The  shortage  of  labor  in  essential  war  industries 
should  be  met  in  part  by  further  introducing  women  into  occupa- 
tions easily  filled  by  them,  such  as  clerical,  cashier  and  accounting 
services.  They  should  not  be  employed  to  replace  men  in  occupa- 
tions clearly  unfit  owing  to  physical  or  moral  conditions,  such  as 
barrooms  and  poolrooms.  Nor  should  girls  under  21  years  be 
employed  in  occupations  for  which  their  youth  unfits  them,  such  as 
public  messenger  service,  as  bell  boys,  etc. 

The  introduction  of  women  into  industries  involving  special  haz- 

[9] 

s 


ards  such  as  the  use  of  industrial  poisons,  should  be  guided  by 
standards  set  up  by  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board,  whose  regu- 
lations should  also  be  carefully  followed  in  regard  to  hours,  night 
work,  etc.,  in  such  new  occupations  as  street  railway  service,  mes- 
senger service,  etc. 

The  recruiting  of  mothers  of  young  children  for  war  industries 
should  be  discouraged,  and  women  should  not  replace  men  in 
industries  where  no  lack  of  man  power  exists. 

Employers  are  advised  to  take  counsel  with  the  Woman  in  Indus- 
try Service  as  to  the  best  methods  of  introducing  women  in  war  in- 
dustries. 

War  Labor  Policies  Board : 

Felix  Frankfurter,  Assistant  to  the  Secretary, 
Chairman 

While  created  as  a  division  of  the  Department  of  Labor,  with  a 
seat  in  the  Labor  Cabinet,  this  Board  had  virtually  become  the  legis- 
lative body  of  the  National  War  Labor  Administration  and  may 
thus  be  treated  independently. 

Creation : 

Up  to  the  beginning  of  1918,  the  Government's  efforts  to  deal 
with  labor  problems  as  they  affected  war  production  had  consisted 
in  the  establishment  of  a  number  of  boards  and  industrial  services, 
each  with  a  separate  and  more  or  less  restricted  jurisdiction.  The 
various  production  departments  of  the  Government,  including  the 
War  Department,  the  Navy  Department,  the  Shipping  board,  etc., 
had  organized  industrial  services  for  the  purpose  of  studying  con- 
ditions affecting  labor  with  a  view  to  exercising  control  over  hours, 
wages,  and  welfare  of  those  doing  war  work  in  Government  plants 
and  private  establishments.  Each  department  handled  its  own 
labor  matters  with  reference  to  its  own  requirements.  To  coor- 
dinate and  centralize  the  activities  of  these  agencies,  the  President 
created  a  War  Labor  Administration  and  named  Secretary  of  Labor 
Wilson  as  labor  administrator.  Secretary  Wilson  subsequently 
created  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board  to  deal  with  this  work. 

Jurisdiction  and  Function : 

It  was  the  purpose  of  this  Board  to  consider  and  to  formulate 

[10] 


labor  policies  affecting  the  production  of  war  industries,  both  those 
directly  under  Government  control  and  those  indirectly  controlled 
through  the  contract-letting  power,  etc.  It  determined  and  de- 
veloped policies  designed  to  unify  the  national  labor  administration 
and  coordinated  the  various  and  frequently  conflicting  methods  of 
the  governmental  departments  dealing  with  labor  problems  in- 
volved in  production.  Its  work  was  thus  distinctly  marked  off  from 
that  of  the  National  War  Labor  Board.  The  National  War  La- 
bor Board  was  a  court  of  appeal  where  principles  of  the  Labor  Ad- 
ministration were  involved  in  dispute.  Its  decisions  were  final  and 
binding  as  the  result  of  an  agreement  entered  into  by  employers  and 
labor  organizations.  The  Policies  Board,  assisted  by  advisors 
chosen  by  labor  and  employers,  aimed  to  avert  disputes  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  standards  and  policies  on  a  national  scale  through  con- 
ference and  advance  agreements. 

Personnel  and  Organization : 

The  following  constituted  the  members  and  special  advisors  of 
the  War  Labor  Policies  Board: 

Department  of  Labor  — 

FELIX   FRANKFURTER,  CHAIRMAN. 

MISS  MARY  VAN  KLEECK,  DIRECTOR  OF  WOMAN  IN  INDUSTRY  SERVICE. 

MISS   GRACE  ABBOTT,    RESEARCH  CONSULTANT. 

War  Department  — 

E.  M.  HOPKINS,  ASSISTANT  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 
STANLEY  KING,  SECRETARY  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Navy  Department  — 

F.  D.   ROOSEVELT,  ASSISTANT  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY. 
L.  McHOWE. 

Department  of  Agriculture  — 

G.  I.  CHRISTIE,  ASSISTANT  SECRETARY  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

War  Industries  Board  — 

HUGH  FRAYNE,  GENERAL  ORGANIZER,  AMERICAN  FEDERATION  OF  LABOR, 
NEW  YORK  CITY. 

Fuel  Administration  — 

JOHN    P.    WHITE,    EX-PRESIDENT    OF    THE    UNITED    MINE    WORKERS    OF 
AMERICA. 

Shipping  Board  — 

ROBERT  P.  BASS,  EX-GOVERNOR  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  — 

HOWARD  COONLEY. 
CHARLES  PIEZ 


Food  Administration  — 

M.    B.    HAMMOND,    PROFESSOR    OF    ECONOMICS    AND    SOCIOLOGY,    OHIO 
STATE  UNIVERSITY. 

Railroad  Administration  — 

W.  I.  TYL£R,  ASSISTANT  DIRECTOR,   DIVISION  OF  OPERATIONS. 

Executive  Secretary  — 

GEORGE   L.   BELL,   MANAGER   FOR  THE   HARVESTER   CO.,   SAN   FRANCISCO. 

Industrial  Advisor  — 

HERBERT  F.  PERKINS,  CHICAGO. 

Assistant  to  Chairman  — 

MAX  LOWENTHAL,  ATTORNEY-AT-LAW. 

Advisor  on  Statistics  — 

F.  W.   LAMSON. 

Labor  Advisor  — 

JOHN   R.  ALPINE,  VICE-PRESIDENT,  AMERICAN  FEDERATION  OF  LABOR. 

Economic  Advisor  — 

L.  C.   MARSHALL,  DEAN,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO. 

Committee  on  Public  Information  — 

W.  L.  CHENERY,  CHICAGO. 

Policies : 

One  of  the  early  and  important  acts  of  the  Board  was  the  adop- 
tion of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  National  War  Labor  Board 
as  its  own  guiding  principles  and  policies. 

Machinery  for  Application  and  Enforcement: 

The  policies  adopted  by  the  Board  were  applied  through  the  va- 
rious Federal  organizations  represented  on  the  Board.  Enforce- 
ment of  the  Board's  decisions  were  thus  effected  through  incor- 
poration in  Government  contracts  and  through  power  of  assignment 
of  materials  vested  in  the  Priorities  Committee  of  the  War  Indus- 
tries Board.  Moreover,  the  Federal  Employment  Service  was 
guided  by  this  Priorities  Committee  in  the  distribution  of  labor.  In 
this  connection  it  should  be  noted  that  Mr.  Frankfurter  as  chairman 
of  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board  had  a  seat  on  the  War  Industries 
Board. 

War  Labor  Conference  Board 
Creation : 

In  January,  1918,  Secretary  Wilson  on  the  nomination  of  the 
president  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  and  of  an  organ- 

[12] 


ization  of  employers,  the  National  Industrial  Conference  Board,  ap- 
pointed a  War  Labor  Conference  Board. 

Personnel : 

The  three  interests  involved,  employers,  labor  and  the  public, 

were  represented  as  follows : 

Hon.  William  H.  Taftl  Joint  Chairmen  representing 
Hon  Frank  P.  Walsh    j  the  Public. 

Representing  the  Employers:  Representing  Labor: 

1.  LOYALL  A.  OSBORNE.  i.  FRANK  J.  HAYES. 

2.  W.   H.   VAN   DERVOORT.  2.  W.  L.  HUTCHESON. 

3.  C.  E.  MICHAEL.  3.  THOMAS  J.   SAVAGE. 

4.  L.  F.  LOREE.  4.  VICTOR  A.  OLANDER. 

5.  B.   W.   WORDEN.  5.  T.   A.   RICKERT. 

Function : 

The  Board  was  intended  to  provide  a  means  of  labor  adjustment 
suitable  to  the  national  emergency  and  acceptable  both  to  employers 
and  employees.  In  March,  1918,  the  Board  submitted  a  report 
urging  the  creation  for  the  period  of  the  war  of  a  national  war  labor 
board  to  handle  all  disputes  arising  from  labor  conditions  affecting 
production  in  war  industries.  The  text  of  the  report  includes  a 
statement  of  principles  which  should  control  such  a  war  labor  board. 
This  declaration  of  principles  of  the  National  War  Labor  Board 
is  given  on  a  later  page. 

The  Conference  Board  as  such  then  automatically  passed  out  of 
existence,  although  practically  its  full  membership  was  continued  in 
its  successor  the  National  War  Labor  Board. 

NATIONAL  WAR  LABOR  BOARD 

Creation : 

The  Board  was  created  by  presidential  proclamation  on  April  8, 
1918,  in  accord  with  recommendations  of  the  War  Labor  Confer- 
ence Board.  In  his  proclamation  President  Wilson  directed  that 
"  the  National  Board  shall  refuse  to  take  cognizance  of  a  contro- 
versy ...  in  any  field  of  industrial  or  other  activity  where  there 
is  by  agreement  or  Federal  law  a  means  of  settlement  which  has 
not  been  invoked;"  that  "the  principles  to  be  observed  and  the 
methods  to  be  followed  .  .  .  shall  be  those  specified  in  the  said  re- 
port of  the  War  Labor  Conference  Board." 


Personnel : 

The  War  Labor  Board  was  largely  made  up  of  the  same  men  who 
composed  the  Conference  Board.  In  the  interests  of  dispatch  each 
member  was  allowed  to  appoint  an  alternate  whose  duty  it  was  to  sit 
when  the  principal  was  absent.  Alternates  were  assigned  to  cases 
just  as  were  the  principals  and  their  recommendations  had  the  same 
weight  with  the  Board.  The  following  was  the  complete  member- 
ship of  the  Board : 

WILLIAM  HOWARD  TAFT,  JOINT-CHAIRMAN. 

FREDERICK  N.  JUDSON,   ALTERNATE  AND   VICE-JOINT-CHAIR- 
MAN. 

FRANK  P.  WALSH,  JOINT-CHAIRMAN. 

WILLIAM     HARMAN     BLACK,    ALTERNATE     AND     VICE-JOINT- 
CHAIRMAN. 

Representing  Employers : 

LOYALL  A.    OSBORNE,    Vice-President   Westinghouse   Electric   and    Manu- 
facturing Company. 
Alternate  not  yet  chosen. 

C.  E.  MICHAEL,  President  of  the  Virginia  Bridge  and  Iron  Company. 
J.  W.  MARSH,  President  of  the  Standard  Underground  Cable  Company,  al- 
ternate. 

W.  H.  VAN  DERVOORT,  President  of  the  Root  and  Van  Dervoort  Engineer- 
ing Company. 

H.  H.  RICE,  Vice-President  of  General  Motors  Company,  alternate. 
B.  L.  WORDEN,  President  Lackawanna  Bridge  Company,  and  General  Man- 
ager,  Submarine  Boat  Corporation. 

C.  A.   CROCKER,  President,   Crocker-McElwain   Company,   alternate. 
FREDERICK  C.  HOOD,  President  Hood  Rubber  Company. 

JOHN  F.  PERKINS,  Vice-President  of  the  Calumet  and  Hecla  Mining  Com- 
pany, alternate. 

R  epresen  ting  Workers : 

FRANK  J.  HAYES,  President  United  Mine  Workers  of  America. 

ADAM  WILKINSON,  member  Executive  Board,  U.M.W.  of  A.,  alternate. 
W.  L.  HUTCHESON,  President  Brotherhood  of  Carpenters  and  Joiners. 
T.  M.  GUERIN,  member  Executive  Board,  Brotherhood  of  Carpenters  and 

Joiners,  alternate. 
*  THOMAS  J.  SAVAGE,  member  Executive  Board  International  Association 

of  Machinists. 

WILLIAM    H.    JOHNSTON,    President    International    Association    of   Ma- 
chinists, alternate. 
VICTOR  A.  OLANDER,  Vice-President  International  Seamen's  Union. 

MATTHEW    WOLL,    President    International    Photo-Engravers    Union    of 

North  America,   alternate. 
T.  A.  RICKERT,  President  United  Garment  Workers  Union. 

JOHN  J.  MANNING,  member  Executive  Board,  United  Garment  Workers, 
alternate. 


*  Mr.  Savage  has  recently  died.     His  successor  has  not  yet  been  appointed. 

[14] 


Principles  and  Policies: 

TO   GOVERN    RELATIONS   BETWEEN  WORKERS   AND   EMPLOYERS   IN   WAR   IN- 
DUSTRIES  FOR  THE  DURATION  OF  THE  WAR. 

Declarations  of  Principles 

Submitted  by  War  Labor  Conference  Board,  signed  by  all  mem- 
bers of  War  Labor  Board,  and  endorsed  by  Presidential  proclama- 
tion April  8,  1918. 

There  should  be  no  strikes  or  lockouts  during  the  war. 
Right  to  Organize. 

The  right  of  workers  to  organize  in  trade-unions  and 
to  bargain  collectively  through  chosen  representatives  is 
recognized  and  affirmed.  This  right  shall  not  be  denied, 
abridged,  or  interfered  with  by  the  employers  in  any  man- 
ner whatsoever. 

The  right  of  employers  to  organize  in  associations  or 
groups  and  to  bargain  collectively  through  chosen  repre- 
sentatives is  recognized  and  affirmed.  This  right  shall 
not  be  denied,  abridged,  or  interfered  with  by  the  work- 
ers in  any  manner  whatsoever. 

Employers  should  not  discharge  workers  for  member- 
ship in  trade-unions,  nor  for  legitimate  trade-union  ac- 
tivities. 

The  workers,  in  the  exercise  of  their  right  to  organize, 
should  not  use  coercive  measures  of  any  kind  to  induce 
persons  to  join  their  organizations  nor  to  induce  employ- 
ers to  bargain  or  deal  therewith. 

Existing  Conditions 

In  establishments  where  the  union  shop  exists  the  same 
shall  continue,  and  the  union  standards  as  to  wages,  hours 
of  labor,  and  other  conditions  of  employment  shall  be 
maintained. 

In  establishments  where  union  and  non-union  men  and 
women  now  work  together  and  the  employer  meets  only 
with  employees  or  representatives  engaged  in  said  estab- 
lishments, the  continuance  of  such  conditions  shall  not  be 
deemed  a  grievance.  This  declaration,  however,  is  not 
intended  in  any  manner  to  deny  the  right  or  discourage 

[151 


the  practice  of  the  formation  of  labor  unions  or  the  join- 
ing of  the  same  by  the  workers  in  said  establishments,  as 
guaranteed  in  the  preceding  section,  nor  to  prevent  the 
War  Labor  Board  from  urging  or  any  umpire  from 
granting,  under  the  machinery  herein  provided,  improve- 
ment of  their  situation  in  the  matter  of  wages,  hours  of 
labor,  or  other  conditions  as  shall  be  found  desirable  from 
time  to  time. 

Established  safeguards  and  regulations  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  health  and  safety  of  workers  shall  not  be  re- 
laxed. 

Women  in  Industry 

If  it  shall  become  necessary  to  employ  women  on  work 
ordinarily  performed  by  men,  they  must  be  allowed  equal 
pay  for  equal  work  and  must  not  be  allotted  tasks  dis- 
proportionate to  their  strength. 

Hours  of  Labor 

The  basic  eight-hour  day  is  recognized  as  applying  in 
all  cases  in  which  existing  law  requires  it.  In  all  other 
cases  the  question  of  hours  of  labor  shall  be  settled  with 
due  regard  to  governmental  necessities  and  the  welfare, 
health,  and  proper  comfort  of  the  workers. 

Maximum  Production 

The  maximum  production  of  all  war  industries  should 
be  maintained,  and  methods  of  work  and  operation  on  the 
part  of  employers  or  workers  which  operate  to  delay  or 
limit  production,  or  which  have  a  tendency  to  artificially 
increase  the  cost  thereof,  should  be  discouraged. 

Mobilization  of  Labor 

For  the  purpose  of  mobilizing  the  labor  supply  with  a 
view  to  its  rapid  and  effective  distribution,  a  permanent 
list  of  the  numbers  of  skilled  and  other  workers  available 
in  different  parts  of  the  country  shall  be  kept  on  file  by 
the  Department  of  Labor,  the  information  to  be  con- 
stantly furnished: 

[16] 


1.  By  the  trade-unions. 

2.  By     State     employment    bureaus     and     Federal 
agencies  of  like  character. 

3.  By  the  managers  and  operators  of  industrial  es- 
tablishments throughout  the  country. 

These  agencies  shall  be  given  opportunity  to  aid  in  the 
distribution  of  labor  as  necessity  demands. 

Custom  of  Localities 

In  fixing  wages,  hours,  and  conditions  of  labor,  regard 
should  always  be  had  to  the  labor  standards,  wage  scales, 
and  other  conditions  prevailing  in  the  localities  affected. 

The  Living  Wage 

1.  The  right  of  all  workers,  including  common  labor- 
ers, to  a  living  wage  is  hereby  declared. 

2.  In  fixing  wages,  minimum  rates  of  pay  shall  be  es- 
tablished which  will  insure  the  subsistence  of  the  worker 
and  his  family  in  health  and  reasonable  comfort. 

Purpose  and  Function: 

The  War  Labor  Board,  commonly  known  as  the  "  Taft-Walsh 
Board,"  acted  as  a  supreme  court  of  industry,  only  to  be  invoked 
when  other  agencies  failed.  Its  purpose  was  judicial,  but  it  was  at 
the  same  time  legislative  and  through  its  machinery  for  enforcing 
awards  it  also  possessed  administrative  functions.  The  Taft-Walsh 
Board  heard  appeals  when  the  principles  established  by  the  proc- 
lamation of  April  8,  creating  it,  had  been  violated,  or  to  determine 
questions  of  jurisdiction  as  between  Government  boards,  or  when 
one  of  its  own  awards  had  not  been  put  into  effect.  It  re-opened 
an  award  only  after  its  provisions  had  been  put  into  effect.  An 
appeal  against  enforcement  of  any  one  of  such  provisions  might  then 
be  filed.  While  the  Board  might  have  been  termed  a  Court  of  In- 
dustrial Equity,  its  proceedings  were  entirely  informal,  and  unre- 
strained by  technical  rules  of  evidence. 

Any  group  of  persons  in  interest  might  bring  an  issue  between 
employer  and  employee  before  the  National  War  Labor  Board. 
When  both  parties  to  the  controversy  desired  to  submit  to  the  Board 
they  needed  only  to  prepare  a  short  joint  statement  of  the  issue, 

[17] 


signed  by  all  parties  in  interest,  for  delivery  to  Mr.  W.  Jett  Lauck, 
Secretary  of  the  Board.  Blank  forms  of  complaint  might  be  ob- 
tained from  Mr.  Lauck  on  request.  The  Secretary  of  Labor  might 
invoke  its  authority  and  the  Secretary  of  War  and  other  Cabinet 
members  might  assign  disputes  arising  under  the  Industrial  Service 
Sections  of  their  respective  departments. 

Staff: 

Examiners  were  an  important  part  of  the  staff  of  the  War  Labor 
Board.  Under  this  name  a  corps  of  industrially  trained  men  and 
women  had  been  built  up,  whose  business  it  was,  first,  to  take  testi- 
mony and  sift  evidence  in  a  case  and,  second,  to  interpret  and  apply 
awards  after  they  had  been  made.  These  examiners  were  neutral 
as  between  employer  and  employee  and  reported  directly  to  the  Sec- 
retary, Mr.  W.  Jett  Lauck.  Miss  Marie  L.  Obernauer  acted  as 
chief  of  women  examiners. 

Field  agents,  chosen  respectively  by  the  employers  and  wage- 
working  representatives  on  the  War  Labor  Board,  acted  as  special 
counsel  to  either  party  in  dispute.  They  prepared  evidence  and  sub- 
mitted briefs  in  behalf  of  the  disputants.  These  agents  included  a 
group  of  women  investigators,  under  Miss  Elisabeth  Crisman, 
chosen  .by  the  labor  side  of  the  Board,  who  gathered  facts  in  regard 
to  women  workers  where  such  facts  would  enter  into  a  decision. 

Sections: 

Sections  of  the  Board  consisting  of  two  members  were  appointed 
for  either  side,  who  acted  in  local  or  preliminary  controversies. 
Each  was  assisted  by  one  or  more  field  representatives.  If  the  Sec- 
tions were  unable  to  come  to  a  joint  decision  or  to  make  an  accept- 
able adjustment  of  the  grievance,  they  referred  it  to  the  full  Board 
with  recommendations.  All  awards  of  the  Taft-Walsh  Board 
were  made  by  unanimous  vote. 

Umpires : 

If  the  Board  found  that  it  could  not  reach  a  unanimous  decision, 
an  umpire  might  be  chosen  either  unanimously  for  final  adjudication, 
or  where  such  unanimous  choice  was  not  possible,  by  lot  from  a  list 
of  ten  men  nominated  by  the  President.  The  names  of  these  ten 
umpires  were :  Henry  Ford,  Matthew  Hale,  James  R.  Covington, 

[18] 


C.  G.  McChord,  V.  Everit  Macy,  Julian  W.  Mack,  Henry  Suzallo, 
John  Lind,  William  R.  Wilcox  and  Walter  Clark. 

Application  and  Enforcement  of  Awards : 

Machinery  for  application  of  awards  was  provided  through  the 
examiners.  Also,  when  deemed  advisable,  local  boards  were  es- 
tablished, made  up  equally  of  representatives  of  workers  and  em- 
ployers, who  were  charged  with  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the 
Board's  decision.  This  was  done  in  the  case  of  the  Machinists, 
Electrical  Workers,  et  al.,  versus  Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  Beth- 
lehem, Pa.,  in  the  case  of  the  Employees  versus  Employers  in  Muni- 
tion and  Related  Trades,  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  in  the  case  of  the 
Employees  versus  Manufacturers  of  Newsprint  Paper.  In  few 
cases  did  either  contestant  refuse  to  accept  an  award  of  the  Taft- 
Walsh  Board.  When  this  occurred,  as  in  the  Western  Union 
and  the  Smith  and  Wesson  cases,  by  executive  order  from  Presi- 
dent Wilson  the  Government  commandeered  the  management  of  the 
company;  when  the  workers  were  recalcitrant,  as  in  the  case  of 
Bridgeport,  they  were  ordered  to  cease  all  strikes  and  go  back  to 
work  under  penalty  of  loss  of  industrial  exemptions  and  loss  of  em- 
ployment for  one  year  through  the  United  States  Employment  Ser- 
vice. 

Important  Awards: 

The  War  Labor  Board,  through  a  series  of  decisions  applying 
the  provisions  set  forth  in  its  declaration  of  principles,  laid  the 
foundation  for  a  nation-wide  code  of  industrial  equity.  The  more 
important  awards,  in  addition  in  almost  every  instance  to  raising 
wages,  have  given  specific  definition  to  the  following  principles  of 
the  Board: 

Minimum  wage  and  basic  eight-hour  day: 

Worthington  Pump  and  Machine  Company 

The  Frick  and  other  companies  of  Waynesboro,  Pa. 

Employees  v.  St.  Joseph  Lead  Company 
Shop  committees: 

Employees  v.  General  Electric  Company   (Pittsfield,  Schenectady) 

Employees  of  Bridgeport 

Employees  v.  Bethlehem  Steel  Company 

Discrimination  against  trade-unions  by  means  of  "  restrictive  per- 

[19] 


sonal  contracts  "  or,  individual  as  against  collective  bargaining  for- 
bidden : 

Employees  v.  Smith  and  Wesson  Company 
Employees  v.  General  Electric  Company 
Employees  v.  Bethlehem  Steel  Company 
Industrial  councils  established : 

Employees  v.  Manufacturers  of  Newsprint  Paper 
Employees  v.  Bridgeport  Manufacturers 

The  straight  eight-hour  day  as  distinguished  from  a  basic  eight- 
hour  day: 

Moulders  v.  Wheeling  Mould  and  Foundry  Company 


IX! 


WAR  DEPARTMENT 

THE  War  Department's  three  industrial  sections  of  Ord- 
nance,   Quartermaster's    and    Aircraft    Production    func- 
tioned through  Dr.  E.  M.  Hopkins,  Assistant  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War,  who  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  labor  problems  re- 
lating to  the  production  of  war  materials.      Cooperation  with  >:he 
War  Labor  Policies  Board  was  effected  by  the  inclusion  on  the  Poli- 
cies Board  of  Dr.  Hopkins  and  Mr.  Stanley  King,  Secretary  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  through: 

General  Orders  No.  58,  dated  June  22,  1918. 

These  orders  provided  that  in  production  of  war  materials  "  no 
changes  in  hours  of  labor,  rates  of  pay,  rates  and  hours  of  overtime, 
shall  hereafter  be  made  upon  the  authority  of  or  by  direction  of,  or 
with  the  approval  of  any  Bureau  of  the  War  Department,  except 
by  written  recommendation  to  one  of  the  representatives  of  this 
Department  on  the  Labor  Policies  Board,  approved  in  writing  by 
such  representative." 

Ordnance  Bureau:  Production  Division 

Industrial  Service  Section: 

Major  B.  H.  Gitchell,  Chief. 

Creation : 

This  Section  was  created  by  order  of  the  Chief  of  Ordnance. 

Purpose  and  Function : 

The  Section  was  created  to  deal  with  all  problems  relating 
to  the  production  of  Ordnance  material,  including  those 
arising  in  Government  arsenals.  Its  main  divisions  were 
Procurement,  Stabilization,  and  Stimulation.  The  function  of 
the  Section  was  to  maintain  a  service  which  would  advise  with 
Ordnance  contractors  in  the  handling  of  labor  problems  which 
were  a  factor  in  the  production  of  Ordnance  supplies.  The 
country  was  divided  into  eleven  districts,  in  each  of  which  local 
machinery  under  the  three  main  divisions  was  established. 
These  district  officials  reported  directly  to  their  chiefs  in 
Washington. 

[31] 


Policies : 

The  policies  of  the  Section  were  determined  in  cooperation 
with  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board.  Standards  endorsed  by 
both  Ordnance  and  Quartermaster's  Bureaus  were  promulgated 
in: 

General  Orders  No.  13: 

These  general  orders  were  issued  by  the  Chief  of  Ordnance 
in  November,  1917,  and  adopted  by  the  Quartermaster  Gen- 
eral soon  thereafter.  They  were  among  the  first  govern- 
mental pronouncements  on  standards  for  workers  on  war  sup- 
plies. They  were  issued  as  "  suggestions  "  and  were  not  man- 
datory; they  provided  no  machinery  for  their  own  enforce- 
ment; their  value  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  pointed  the  way  for 
later  regulations,  and  that  they  embodied  an  enlightened  public 
policy.  The  point  of  view  of  these  u  Suggestions  to  Arsenal 
Commanders  and  Manufacturers  "  is  defined  by  the  following 
excerpt : 

"  In  view  of  the  urgent  necessity  for  a  prompt  increase  in  the  vol- 
ume of  production  of  practically  every  article  required  for  the  con- 
duct of  the  war,  vigilance  is  demanded  of  all  those  in  any  way- 
associated  with  industry  lest  the  safeguards  with  which  the  people 
of  this  country  have  sought  to  protect  labor  should  be  unwisely  and 
unnecessarily  broken  down.  It  is  a  fair  assumption  that  for  the  most 
part  these  safeguards  are  the  mechanisms  of  efficiency.  Industrial 
history  proves  that  reasonable  hours,  fair  working  conditions,  and  a 
proper  wage  scale  are  essential  to  high  production." 

These  orders  dealt  with  hours  of  labor,  standards  in  workrooms, 
wages,  negotiations  between  employers  and  employees,  and  the  em- 
ployment of  women  and  minors.  They  were  thus  summarized:* 

"  Ten  hours  is  declared  to  be  the  maximum  which  should  be  re- 
quired for  an  adult  workman,  while  it  is  pointed  out  that  '  the  drift 
in  the  industrial  world  is  toward  an  eight-hour  day  as  an  efficiency 
measure.'  For  women  it  is  declared  that  '  existing  legal  standards 
should  be  rigidly  maintained,  and  even  where  the  law  permits  a  nine 
or  ten-hour  day,  effort  should  be  made  to  restrict  the  work  of  women 
to  eight  hours  to  enable  them  to  bear  the  increased  burden  brought 


*  Article  by  Mary  Van  Kleeck,  former  Director  of  Women's  Branch,  Industrial  Ser- 
vice Section  of  the  Ordnance  Bureau. 

[22] 


by  new  tasks  and  by  greater  speed  in  their  accustomed  occupations.' 
The  employment  of  women  on  night  shifts  should  be  avoided,  rest 
periods  and  adequate  time  for  meals  should  be  allowed,  and  the 
Saturday  half-holiday  assured.  For  men  in  continuous  industries 
it  is  declared  that  eight  hours  per  shift  should  be  the  maximum. 

"  As  to  wages,  it  is  stated  that  '  standards  already  established  in  an 
industry  and  in  the  locality  should  not  be  lowered,'  and  the  prices  of 
necessities  of  life  should  be  taken  into  consideration.  '  Changes  to 
meet  changed  prices  should  not,  however,  be  made  with  too  great 
rapidity,  and  all  wage  adjustments  should  be  based  on  considera- 
tions which  suggest  at  least  relative  permanency.' 

"  Other  phases  of  industrial  conditions  are  dealt  with  in  the  same 
detailed  way,  and  the  following  paragraph  defines  the  relations  be- 
tween employers  and  employees: 

'  The  need  of  preserving  and  creating  methods  of  joint  nego- 
tiations between  employers  and  groups  of  employees  is  especially 
great  in  the  light  of  the  critical  points  of  controversy  which  may 
arise  in  a  time  like  the  present.  Existing  channels  should  be 
preserved  and  new  ones  opened,  if  required,  to  provide  easier 
access  for  discussion  between  an  employer  and  his  employees 
over  controversial  points.' ' 

Women's  Branch: 

Mrs.  Clara  M.  Tead,  Director. 

This  Branch  supervised  the  work  of  women  in  Government 
arsenals,  controlled  plants  and  in  those  at  work  on  Ordnance 
contracts.  Its  interests  so  penetrated  those  of  each  of  the 
other  sub-sections  of  the  Industrial  Service  Section  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  treat  of  them  separately.  No  regulations  for  train- 
ing and  education  of  workers,  for  labor  dilution,  for  wages, 
hours  and  housing  or  sanitation  could  be  made  effective  with- 
out the  cooperation  of  the  Women's  Branch,  which  in  turn  was 
closely  allied  with  the  Woman  in  Industry  Service  of  the  De- 
partment of  Labor. 

Application  and  Enforcement: 

Application  and  enforcement  of  standards  as  expressed  in 
General  Orders  No.  13  and  those  formulated  by  the  War  La- 
bor Policies  Board  were  not  difficult  in  private  firms  where  the 
plant  was  operated  on  a  cost  plus  profit  basis.  In  Government 
arsenals  standards  were  fixed  through  executive  orders  issued 
by  the  Chief  of  Ordnance. 

[23] 


Industrial  disputes  arising  in  any  local  district  were  adjusted 
through  the  Section's  local  adjustment  machinery.  If  an 
agreement  was  not  possible  the  dispute  went  to  the  War  Labor 
Board  which  had  ample  machinery  both  for  making  and  en- 
forcing awards. 

Quartermaster's  Bureau : 

Industrial  Relations  Branch: 

John  McLane,  Director. 

This  Branch  was  organized  on  lines  similar  to  those  followed  in 
the  Industrial  Service  Section  of  the  Army  Ordnance  Bureau.  It 
was  responsible  for  the  settlement  of  disputes  and  for  conditions  af- 
fecting labor  in  all  plants  carrying  Quartermaster's  contracts,  with 
the  exception  of  those  arising  in  the  needle  trades. 

Board  for  Control  of  Labor  Standards  in  Army  Clothing : 

This  Board  was  appointed  August  24,  1917,  by  the  Secretary  of 
War.  It  presented  a  memorandum  outlining  conditions  under 
which  army  uniforms  should  be  produced,  which  was  accepted  by  the 
Secretary.  The  Board  was  dissolved  on  January  23,  1918,  and  the 
administration  of  labor  standards  was  placed  under  the  Quarter- 
master General  with  Professor  Ripley  in  charge.  Professor  Ripley 
was  charged  with  the  prevention  of  delays  in  delivery  of  army  cloth- 
ing due  to  labor  difficulties.  He  was  authorized  to  establish  stand- 
ards of  wages,  hours,  fire  hazards,  sanitary  and  other  conditions, 
and  to  enforce  them  through  a  Federal  inspection  service. 

Harness  and  Saddlery  Adjustment  Commission : 

Major  Samuel  J.  Rosensohn,  Chairman 
Creation : 

This  Commission,  appointed  on  September  26,  1917,  operated 
under  an  agreement  of  that  date  signed  by  contractors  and  W.  E. 
Bryan,  President  of  the  United  Leather  Workers'  International 
Union.  It  was  one  of  the  first  instruments  upon  which  the  Govern- 
ment, manufacturers  and  employees  were  all  represented. 

Personnel : 

SAMUEL  J.  ROSENSOHN,  Major,  J.  A.  G.,  Chairman. 
HENRY  DIEGEL,  Representative  of  the  Manufacturers  in  the  Harness  and 
Saddlery  Industry. 

[34] 


WILLIAM  E.  BRYAN,  President  of  the  United  Leather  Workers'  International 
Union. 

The  agreement  originally  provided  for  four  members  of  whom 
two  should  be  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  This  was 
changed  as  shown  above. 

The  agreement  under  which  the  Commission  operated  reads  as 
follows : 

Purpose  and  Function: 

1.  There  shall  be  created  a  national  Harness  and  Saddlery  Adjust- 
ment Commission  hereinafter  referred  to  as  "  the  commission,"  com- 
posed ol  four  members  of  which  two  members  shall  be  appointed  by 
the  Secretary  of  War  to  represent  the  public;  one  member  by  the 
manufacturers  signatory  hereto,   and  one  member  by  the   United 
Leather  Workers'   International  Union.     One  of  the  members  of 
this  commission  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  shall  be  desig- 
nated by  him  as  chairman.     Each  member  including  the  chairman 
shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote,  and  a  majority  vote  shall  govern  in  all 
cases. 

2.  The  commission  shall  adjust  all  differences  now  existing  or  that 
may  hereafter  arise  between  the  contractors  and  employes  engaged 
in  the  production  of  articles  under  agreement  to  which  the  United 
States  is  a  party,  including  wages,  hours  and  conditions  of  labor. 
The  commission  may  adopt  rules,  regulations  and  methods  of  pro- 
cedure in  order  to  carry  this  agreement  into  effect  and  all  decisions 
or  adjustments  made  by  it  shall  be  binding  upon  and  complied  with 
by  the  contractors  signatory  hereto,  who  have  contracts  with  the 
United  States,  and  also  by  the  operatives,  members  of  the  United 
Leather  Workers'  International  Union  represented  in  the  execution 
of  this  agreement  by  their  president. 

3.  This  agreement  shall  be  in  full  force  and  effect  for  the  duration 
of  the  present  war. 

4.  The  parties  hereto  severally  agree  that  during  the  war  there 
shall  be  no  interruption  of  work  upon  which  they  are  engaged  in  the 
carrying  out  of  contracts  to  which  the  United  States  is  a  party. 

5.  In  the  event  that  any  changes  in  wage  scales  are  made  or  ap- 
proved by  the  commission  in  carrying  out  its  functions  under  this 
agreement,  compensatory  adjustments  shall  be  made  by  the  United 
States  in  accordance  with  the  recommendations  of  the  commission. 

6.  The  scale  of  wages  for  operatives  for  work  done  under  con- 
tracts to  which   the  United   States  and   the  contractors  signatory 
hereto  are  parties,  shall  in  no  case  be  less  than  is  now  in  effect. 

7.  The  contractors  signatory  hereto  agree  that  non-union  labor 
employed  in  carrying  out  work  under  a  contract  to  which  the  United 

[25] 


States  is  a  party  shall  receive  the  same  rates  of  compensation  as  the 
members  of  the  United  Leather  Workers'  International  Union. 
September  26,  1917. 

Manufacturers:  signed  by  about  50, 
Leather  Workers : 

W.  E.  BRYAN,  general  president,  United  Leather  Workers' 
International  Union,  504  Postal  Bldg.,  Kan- 
sas City,  Mo. 

Application  and  Enforcement: 

As  a  means  to  enforce  this  agreement  a  supplemental  agreement 
was  entered  into  on  the  letting  of  every  contract  between  the  United 
States  Government,  represented  by  Major  Rosensohn,  and  the  con- 
tractor or  contractors,  which  provided : 

"  WHEREAS,  the  need  in  the  present  emergency  for  continuous  and 
accelerated  production  of  the  above  supplies  demands  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances shall  work  be  stopped; 

"  AND,  WHEREAS,  to  secure  the  ends  of  the  Government,  it  is  im- 
portant that  the  contractor  agree  (i)  to  aid  the  War  Department  in 
preventing  any  interruption  of  work,  (2)  to  submit  all  labor  disputes  to 
the  Secretary  of  War  or  his  duly  authorized  representative  for  adjust- 
ment, (3)  to  confer  upon  the  Secretary  of  War  or  such  representative 
the  power  to  fix  the  wages  paid  by  the  contractor  to  his  workers,  whether 
they  be  members  of  a  labor  union  or  not,  (4)  to  abide  by  the  determina- 
tion thus  made,  and  (5)  to  amend  the  contract  by  inserting  such  clauses 
therein. 

"  NOW,  THEREFORE,  It  is  hereby  agreed  that  said  contract  dated 
be  and  the  same  hereby  is  amended  as  follows : 

"  i.  The  National  Harness  and  Saddlery  Adjustment  Commission 
(hereinafter  referred  to  as  the  Commission)  composed  of  Samuel  J.  Rosen- 
sohn, Major,  J.  A.  G.,  detailed  to  the  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  ap- 
pointed by  the  Secretary  of  War  as  Chairman  of  the  Commission ;  Henry 
Diegel,  representative  of  the  manufacturers  in  the  harness  and  saddlery 
industry ;  and  William  E.  Bryan,  President  of  the  United  Leather  Work- 
ers' International  Union,  shall  adjust  all  differences  now  existing  or  that 
may  hereafter  arise  between  the  contractors  and  employes  engaged  in  the 
production  of  articles  under  agreement  or  agreements  to  which  the  United 
States  is  a  party,  including  wages,  hours,  and  conditions  of  labor.  The 
Commission  may  adopt  rules,  regulations  and  methods  of  procedure  in 
order  to  carry  this  agreement  into  effect,  and  all  decisions  or  adjustments 
made  by  it  shall  be  binding  upon  and  complied  with  by  the  contractor 
signatory  hereto. 

[26] 


Aircraft  Production  Board: 

John  D.  Ryan,  Director. 
Industrial  Relations  Department: 

Major  B.  H.  Gitchell,  Executive  Officer. 

Creation : 

This  Department  was  created  by  order  of  Mr.  Ryan  to  take  juris- 
diction of  all  labor  disputes  arising  from  the  production  of  army  air- 
craft. 

Personnel: 

This  Department  was  organized  so  short  a  time  before  the  end 
of  the  war  that  its  complete  personnel  was  never  finally  deter- 
mined. Major  Gitchell  acted  as  executive  officer  of  this  as  well 
as  of  the  Ordnance  Bureau's  Industrial  Service  Section;  Mrs. 
Clara  M.  Tead  headed  the  Women  in  Industry  Branch  in  this  as 
in  the  Ordnance  Department.  Other  divisions  were:  Adjust- 
ment of  Disputes,  Relations  with  Other  Bureaus,  Relations  with  the 
War  Labor  Policies  Board. 

Under  the  head  of  Supply  and  Distribution  of  Labor  the  Bureau 
of  Deferred  Classification  and  Industrial  Furloughs  acted  in  close 
relation  with  the  United  States  Employment  Service.  Production 
campaigns  were  being  organized  through  shop  committees,  speakers 
and  general  publicity.  The  Bureau  of  Standardization  of  Wages, 
Hours  and  Conditions  of  Labor,  included  sub-committees  on  hous- 
ing and  transportation,  which  cooperated  with  the  United  States  La- 
bor Department's  Bureau  of  that  name. 

The  Aircraft  Board  districted  the  country  into  seven  districts: 
Buffalo,  Chicago,  Dayton,  Detroit,  New  York,  Pittsburgh,  and  San 
Francisco.  In  each  district  representatives  of  the  Industrial  Rela- 
tions Bureau  were  stationed. 

Policies: 

The  policies  of  the  Aircraft  Board  in  regard  to  labor  were  deter- 
mined in  cooperation  with  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board,  on  which 
it  was  represented  by  Dr.  E.  M.  Hopkins  and  Mr.  Stanley  King. 

Disputes  arising  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Industrial  Relations 
Bureau  were  referred  to  the  War  Labor  Board  when  local  repre- 
sentatives were  unable  to  effect  a  satisfactory  adjustment. 

[27] 


Application  and  Enforcement  of  Awards: 

In  such  disputes  the  application  and  enforcement  of  awards 
were  carried  out  through  the  usual  machinery  of  the  War  Labor 
Board  provided  for  such  matters. 

Cantonment  Adjustment  Commission : 

Creation  : 

On  June  19,  1917,  Secretary  of  War  Baker  and  Mr.  Samuel  Gom- 
pers,  President  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor,  signed  the  fol- 
lowing brief  but  important  document. 

"  For  the  adjustment  and  control  of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  of 
labor  in  the  construction  of  cantonments,  there  shall  be  created  an  ad- 
justment commission  of  three  persons,  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War; 
one  to  represent  the  Army,  one  the  public,  and  one  labor;  the  last  to  be 
nominated  by  Samuel  Gompers,  member  of  the  Advisory  Commission  of 
the  Council  of  National  Defense,  and  President  of  the  American  Federa- 
tion of  Labor. 

"  As  basic  standards  with  reference  to  each  cantonment,  such  commis- 
sion shall  use  the  union  scale  of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  *  in  force  on 
June  i,  1917,  in  the  locality  where  such  cantonment  is  situated.  Consid- 
eration shall  be  given  to  special  circumstances,  if  any,  arising  after  said 
date  which  may  require  particular  advances  in  wages  or  changes  in  other 
standards.  Adjustment  of  wages,  hours  or  conditions  made  by  such 
boards  are  to  be  treated  as  binding  by  all  parties." 

This  is  the  first  instance  in  which  the  Government  negotiated  di- 
rectly an  agreement  with  organized  labor.  Up  to  this  time  the  pro- 
duction divisions  of  the  War  Department  had  refused  to  recognize 
the  existence  of  the  trades-unions. 

Personnel : 

The  Adjustment  Commission  thus  provided  for  consisted  of  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Government,  of  the  public  and  of  organized  la- 
bor. 

Function  and  Principles: 

The  Commission  was  created  to  provide  "  for  the  adjustment  and 
control  of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  of  labor  in  the  construction 
of  cantonments."  It  set  up  the  machinery  and  established  the  prin- 
ciples under  which  work  on  the  great  national  cantonments  was  com- 

*  "  Conditions  "  was  later  defined  as  referring  to  such  matters  as  overtime,  holiday 
work,  etc.,  and  not  to  the  matter  of  union  or  non-union  shop. 


pleted  virtually  without  interruption.  The  agreement  is  noteworthy 
in  that  it  establishes  the  principle  of  collective  bargaining  in  work 
under  Government  contracts,  and  in  that  it  accepts  the  union  scales 
of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  as  basic  standards.  It  was  the 
model  for  many  subsequent  agreements. 

Extensions : 

A  supplementary  agreement  between  Secretary  Baker  and  Mr. 
Gompers  was  signed  on  July  27,  1917,  which  provided  that  the 
terms  of  the  original  agreement  "  be  extended  to  embrace  any  other 
construction  work  which  is  now  being,  or  may  be  from  time  to  time 
during  the  war  carried  on  by  the  War  Department." 

Such  extension  was  invoked  on  August  8th  in  the  case  of  the 
construction  of  aviation  fields,  and  on  September  4th  in  the  case  of 
warehouses  and  storage  facilities. 

Navy  Construction: 

On  August  10,  1917,  a  memorandum  was  signed  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  and  by  Mr.  Gompers,  which  provided  for  an  exten- 
sion of  the  principles  of  the  original  cantonment  agreement  to 
cover  construction  work  on  land  undertaken  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment. The  agreement  further  provided  that  a  representative  of 
the  Navy  Department  should  replace  the  representative  of  the 
Army  on  the  Adjustment  Commission  whenever  the  latter  sat  on 
cases  affecting  Navy  construction  work. 

Emergency  Construction  Adjustment  Commission : 

The  work  of  adjustment  originally  falling  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Cantonment  Adjustment  Commission  under  the  Baker-Gom- 
pers  and  Daniels-Gompers  agreements  was  later  administered  by  the 
so-called  Emergency  Construction  Adjustment  Commission. 

Personnel : 

The  following  was  the  composition  of  the  Commission : 

E.   M.   HOPKINS,   CHAIRMAN  FOR  THE  PUBLIC, 
J.    R.   ALPINE,    FOR   LABOR. 

AND  EITHER 
COL.  J.  H.  ALEXANDER,  FOR  THE  ARMY 

OR 
COMMANDER  PARSONS,  FOR  THE  NAVY. 

Jurisdiction  and  Function: 

Were  as  indicated  in  the  above  named  agreements. 


NAVY  DEPARTMENT 

THE  Navy  Department  never  formally  organized  an  indus- 
trial service  section.     Wages  in  navy-yards  were   deter- 
mined from  time  to  time  through  the  office  of  the  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  F.  D.  Roosevelt,  who  represented  the  De- 
partment on  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board.     Secretary  Roosevelt 
signed  both  the  original  and  the  supplementary  agreements  which 
created  the  Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment  Board  of  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation,  and  appointed  A.  F.  Berres  as  joint  representa- 
tive upon  the  Board  of  the  Fleet  Corporation  and  the  Navy  De- 
partment. 

Under  the  Daniels-Gompers  agreement  of  August  10,  1917,  by 
which  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Cantonment  Adjustment  Commission 
was  extended  to  cover  the  work  of  Navy  construction,  hours,  wages 
and  conditions  for  all  construction  by  private  contractors  for  the 
Navy  were  determined  by  the  Commission.  This  work  was  later 
taken  over  by  the  Emergency  Construction  Adjustment  Commis- 
sion, on  which  the  interests  of  the  Navy  were  represented  by  Com- 
mander Parsons.  The  various  divisions  of  the  Department  of 
Labor,  when  so  requested  by  the  Navy  Department,  acted  to  in- 
vestigate and  adjust  disputes.  If  they  were  unable  to  effect  an  ad- 
justment, the  matter  was  assigned  either  to  the  National  War 
Labor  Board  or  the  Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment  Board,  whose 
decision  was  taken  as  final. 


[30] 


UNITED  STATES  SHIPPING  BOARD 

and  the 
EMERGENCY  FLEET  CORPORATION 

r   •   ^HE   United   States   Shipping  Board   and  its   adjunct,   the 
1         Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  between  them  shared  the 
-^       responsibility   for  the   formulation  and  execution  of  the 
shipping  and  shipbuilding  program.     The  former  was  engaged  in 
planning  and  operating  the  merchant  marine ;  the  latter  in  the  actual 
construction  of  ships.      Both  the  Shipping  Board  and  the  Fleet  Cor- 
poration maintained  agencies  for  dealing  with  industrial  relations  in 
their  particular  fields. 

National  Adjustment  Commission : 

Creation :  The  Longshoremen's  Agreement : 

The  National  Adjustment  Commission  for  the  adjustment  and 
control  of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  of  labor  in  the  loading  and 
unloading  of  vessels,  which  formed  one  of  the  chief  adjusting  agen- 
cies of  the  Shipping  Board,  was  created  by  the  so-called  Longshore- 
men's Agreement.  This  Agreement  (undated)  was  signed  in  the 
early  part  of  August,  1917,  by  the  following  parties  or  their  repre- 
sentatives: International  Longshoremen's  Association,  American 
Federation  of  Labor,  and  principal  shipping  operators.  The 
Agreement  called  for  a  National  Adjustment  Commission  of  the 
following  composition:  One  member  nominated  by  the  Shipping 
Board;  one  nominated  by  the  Secretary  of  War;  one  nominated  by 
the  International  Longshoremen's  Association;  one  nominated  by 
the  committee  on  shipping  of  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  to 
represent  the  coastwise  carriers  and  to  act  only  in  cases  involving 
coastwise  service;  one  nominated  by  the  committee  on  shipping  of 
the  Council  of  National  Defense  to  represent  carriers  engaged  in 
foreign  trade  and  to  act  only  in  cases  involving  foreign  service. 
The  Agreement  also  provided  for  the  appointment  in  each  import- 
ant port  of  a  local  adjustment  commission  on  which  the  same  inter- 
ests were  to  be  represented  and  the  representatives  to  be  chosen  in 
the  same  way  as  for  the  national  board,  except  that  the  Shipping 
Board  and  the  War  Department  were  tovbe  represented  in  a  single 
person. 

[31] 


Personnel : 

The  coastwise  and  deep-sea  shipping  interests  were  each  repre- 
sented by  one  of  a  list  of  six  persons  replacing  the  original  single 
representatives.  The  following  was  the  composition  of  the  Com- 
mission: 

ROBERT   P.   BASS, 

United  States  Shipping   Board,    Chairman. 
STANLEY   KING, 

War  Department. 
T.    V.    O'CONNOR, 

International  Longshoremen's  Association. 

and  either: 

Coastwise  shipping:  Deep-sea  shipping: 

OR 

E.  A.  KELLY  J.  H.  ROSSITER 

E.  E.  PALEN  H.    C.    BLACKISTON 

JOHN   CROWLEY  M.  J.   SANDERS 

W.   P.  CORIA  E.    J.    BARBER 

J.    H.    W.    STEELE  RICHARD  R.  FREEMAN 

CAPTAIN  W.  M.  TUPPER  G.    S.    DEARBORN 

Functions : 

The  purpose  of  the  National  Adjustment  Commission  was  de- 
clared to  be  the  adjustment  and  control  of  wages,  hours  and  condi- 
tions of  labor  in  the  loading  and  unloading  of  vessels  on  the  Atlantic, 
Gulf  and  Pacific  coasts.  The  quick  dispatch  of  vessels  is  an  essential 
war  need  and  the  National  Adjustment  Commission  was  designed  to 
adjust  such  disputes  and  grievances  as  might  arise  during  the  war  so 
that  there  should  be  no  strikes  on  the  part  of  employees  or  lockouts 
on  the  part  of  the  employers.  u  It  will  be  observed,"  says  the  An- 
nual Report  of  the  Commission,  "  that  the  Agreement  was  not  rati- 
fied or  adopted  by  the  operatives  or  employees  on  the  Great  Lakes 
and  therefore  is  not  binding  upon  them." 

Policies : 

The  Agreement  adopted  as  basic  standards  with  reference  to  each 
port  the  union  scale  of  wages,  hours  and  conditions  in  force  on 
August  i,  1917.  Consideration  was  provided  for  special  circum- 
stances arising  after  the  acceptance  -of  any  particular  scale,  which 
might  require  advances  in  wages,  or  changes  in  other  standards.  In 
all  cases  work  was  to  continue  uninterruptedly  pending  action  of 
local  commission  or  of  the  National  Commission,  and  the  adjust- 
ments of  the  Commission  to  be  binding  upon  all  parties.  It  was 
the  policy  of  the  Board  to  work  as  much  as  possible  through  local 


commissions,  cases  to  go  to  the  National  Commission  for  review 
only  in  the  event  of  dissatisfaction  by  either  party.  In  accordance 
with  this  plan  thirteen  local  boards  were  established  as  occasion 
for  them  arose.  Cases  have  been  adjusted  from  Galveston  to  Port- 
land, Maine,  and  from  Honolulu  to  Boston. 

The  Commission  dealt  with  a  type  of  labor  whose  condition  ne- 
cessitates irregular  hours  and  wages  with  marked  periods  of  rush 
work  and  of  unemployment.  Efforts  were  made  to  establish  reg- 
ular hours  and  regular  wages.  In  the  award  of  October  3,  1918, 
"  the  basic  working  day  of  eight  hours  with  Saturday  half  holiday  is 
hereby  established." 

In  addition  to  its  original  functions,  the  Commission  took  ju- 
risdiction over  questions  relating  to  hours  and  conditions  of  labor 
on  harbor  craft  and  harbor  marine  equipment  when  referred  by  spe- 
cial agreement  of  the  parties  in  interest.  In  such  cases  the  person- 
nel of  local  commissions  was  varied  according  to  the  interests  repre- 
sented. 

Marine  and  Dock  Industrial  Relations  Division: 

On  November  12,  1917,  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  named 
Mr.  Robert  P.  Bass  its  special  industrial  expert  to  deal  with  labor 
problems.  The  Marine  and  Dock  Industrial  Relations  Division,  of 
which  Mr.  Bass  was  director,  constituted  the  industrial  service  sec- 
tion of  the  Shipping  Board.  Mr.  Bass  was  also  the  representative 
of  the  Shipping  Board  upon  the  War  Labor  Policies  Board. 
Among  the  powers,  functions  and  duties  of  the  Marine  and  Dock 
Industrial  Relations  Divisions  were  the  following: 

To  report  to  the  Shipping  Board,  with  recommendations,  upon  all  labor 
matters. 

To  act  for  the  Board  as  a  coordinating  agency  in  labor  matters  as  they 
affect  the  departments  of  the  Shipping  Board  and  the  other  departments 
of  the  Government. 

To  have  general  supervision,  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Board,  of 
all  labor  questions  pertaining  to  the  operations  of  vessels  and  marine 
equipment. 

To  endeavor  to  secure  the  peaceable  adjustment  of  all  labor  difficulties 
involved  in  the  operation  of  vessels. 

To  seek  better  industrial  relations  between  employers  and  employees  in 
the  fields  mentioned,  and  to  secure  their  most  effective  cooperation  with 
the  Government  in  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war. 

[33] 


To  advise  with  respect  to  the  relations  of  marine  and  dock  industrial 
man-power  to  military  man-power  of  the  United  States. 

Seamen's  Agreement: 

On  May  8,  1917,  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  entered  into 
an  agreement  by  which  it  hoped  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  the  sea- 
men of  the  country  through  inducements  to  remain  on  the  ships,  to 
bring  back  others  who  had  left  their  calling,  and  to  attract  those  un- 
familiar with  the  sea  to  seafaring  service.  At  a  conference  on  Aug- 
ust 8,  at  which  were  present  representatives  of  ship  owners,  sea- 
men's unions,  the  Departments  of  Commerce  and  Labor,  and  the 
United  States  Shipping  Board,  this  agreement  was  repeated  in  sub- 
stance and  ratified  later  by  the  organizations  represented  in  the 
meeting. 

The  "  Memorandum  of  Understanding,"  as  it  is  called,  reads  as 
follows : 

"  The  representatives  of  the  steamship  lines  and  of  the  organized  sea- 
men agreed  with  the  Shipping  Board  that  some  action  ought  to  be  taken 
looking  to  an  increase  in  the  number  of  seamen  in  order  to  furnish  men 
for  the  vessels  trading  to  England  and  France  carrying  supplies  and  to  yet 
continue  an  uninterrupted  coastwise  trade. 

"  To  maintain  this  purpose  the  representatives  of  the  shipping  lines 
in  cooperation  with  the  Shipping  Board  and  the  organized  seamen  tenta- 
tively agreed  to  cooperate  for  the  attainment  of  this  end  in  the  following 
manner: 

4t  Substantially  all  the  steamship  lines  will  agree  to  pay  the  following 
wage:  Sailors  and  firemen,  $60  per  month ;  coal  passers  $50  per  month ; 
oilers  and  water-tenders,  $65  per  month;  boatswains,  $70  per  month; 
carpenters,  $75  per  month ;  overtime  pay  for  cargo  work  50  cents,  for  ship 
work,  40  cents  per  hour.  Bonus  for  going  to  the  war  zone  50  per  cent 
of  the  wages,  wages  and  bonus  to  continue  until  crew  arrive  back  in  the 
United  States;  $100  compensation  for  loss  of  effects  caused  by  war  con- 
ditions. The  scale  of  wages  and  bonus  for  cooks  and  stewards  at  present 
in  force  be  maintained  and  continued  during  the  continuance  of  this  agree- 
ment. 

"  That  a  certain  number  of  boys  determined  by  the  number  of  men 
carried  are  to  be  employed  in  addition  to  the  usual  crew,  that  a  number  of 
ordinary  seamen  will  be  employed  in  proportion  to  the  able  seamen  car- 
ried, taking  as  an  instance  a  vessel  now  carrying  eight  men  on  deck  will 
carry  six  able  seamen,  two  ordinary  seamen  and  two  boys,  sucb  boys  and 
ordinary  seamen  to  have  ample  opportunity  to  learn  the  work  usually  de- 
manded of  able  seamen. 

[34] 


"  That  the  representatives  of  the  organized  seamen  shall  have  access 
to  and  be  permitted  on  docks  and  vessels  during  reasonable  hours. 

"  The  representatives  of  the  seamen  tentatively  agree  to  join  with  the 
shipowners  in  an  appeal  to  seamen  now  employed  on  shore  to  come  back 
to  the  sea. 

"  That  the  bonus  and  other  conditions  arising  from  the  war  shall  ter- 
minate with  the  war  and  that  the  wages  set  shall  remain  for  one  year  to 
the  end  that  wages  be  stabilized  and  that  the  men  now  on  shore  may  be 
induced  to  return  to  the  sea. 

"  That  the  seamen  will  use  earnest  efforts  in  cooperation  with  the  of- 
ficers to  teach  seamanship  to  the  boys  and  ordinary  seamen." 

All  disputes  between  seamen  and  shipowners  were  referred  di- 
rectly to  the  Shipbuilding  Board,  which  dealt  with  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Seamen's  Union  through  its  industrial  expert,  Robert 
P.  Bass. 

Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment  Board  of  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation : 

Creation : 

By  agreement  dated  August  20,  1917,  between  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  and  the  international  presi- 
dents of  the  labor  organizations  whose  members  were  employed  in 
the  shipbuilding  industry,  an  adjustment  board  was  created,  made 
up  of  three  members,  one  representing  the  public,  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  one  representing  the  American  Fed- 
eration of  Labor,  appointed  by  President  Gompers,  and  one  repre- 
senting the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  or  the  Navy  Department, 
depending  on  which  department  had  jurisdiction  over  the  shipyard 
under  consideration. 

This  agreement  was  superseded  by  another  of  December  18, 
1917,  to  which  the  same  departments  and  labor  organizations  were 
parties.  The  President  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Carpenters  did  not 
become  a  party  to  the  agreement  but  local  carpenters'  unions  have 
always  agreed  to  abide  by  the  decisions  of  the  Board,  so  in  practice 
the  organizations  of  wood  workers  have  been  treated  exactly  like 
the  organizations  of  steel  workers. 

Personnel : 

V.  EVERIT  MACY, 

Chairman,  Representing  the  Public. 

[35] 


L.  C.  MARSHALL, 

Representing  the  Navy  Department  and  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. 
A.  J.  BERRES, 

Representing  the  American  Federation  of  Labor. 
HENRY   SEAGER, 

Secretary. 

Function : 

The  Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment  Board  was  similar  in  plan 
and  purpose  to  the  Cantonment  Adjustment  Commission  and  the 
other  boards  organized  by  the  Government  to  substitute  for  strikes 
and  walkouts  fair  adjustment  of  wages  and  working  conditions 
through  an  agency  in  which  the  workers  themselves  should  be  duly 
represented. 

The  Board  began  by  fixing  wages  for  several  districts  limited 
geographically,  but  in  the  decision  issued  October,  1918,  these  were 
combined  into  two,  the  Pacific  Coast  District,  and  the  Atlantic  Coast, 
Gulf  and  Great  Lakes  District.  At  the  same  time,  the  wages  for 
practically  all  the  skilled  shipbuilding  crafts  were  made  uniform 
for  the  whole  country. 

The  agreement  of  December  8,  1917,  defines  the  function  of  the 
Board  in  the  following  paragraphs : 

"  The  plants  where  such  construction  is  being  carried  on  shall  be  geo- 
graphically districted  by  the  Board.  In  each  district  the  contractors  in 
whose  plants  such  construction  is  being  carried  on,  and  the  representa- 
tives of  such  international  labor  organizations  as  having  members  engaged 
in  such  production  or  construction  in  such  plants  and  as  are  selected 
for  the  purpose  by  the  labor  members  of  the  Board,  shall  be  called  upon, 
under  conditions  to  be  laid  down  by  it,  to  agree  upon  a  person  or  persons 
who  shall  act  under  the  direction  of  the  Board  as  examiner  or  examiners 
in  such  district.  If  the  Board  deems  it  advisable  itself  to  name  an  exam- 
iner or  examiners,  or  if  the  representatives  of  the  contractors  and  of  the 
labor  organization  do  not  agree,  then  the  Board  shall  by  unanimous  ac- 
tion select  a  person  or  persons  for  such  position.  The  examiner  shall  be 
subject  to  removal  by  the  Board  at  any  time  by  majority  vote.  It  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  district  officer  of  the  United  States  Shipping  Board 
Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  to  report  promptly  to  the  Board  and  to  the 
examiner  of  the  district,  if  such  examiner  shall  have  been  appointed,  any 
dispute  with  reference  to  wages,  hours,  or  conditions  of  labor  which  he  is 
unable  to  adjust  satisfactorily  to  the  principals  concerned. 

"  As  basic  standards  where  such  construction  is  being  carried  on,  the 
Board  shall  use  the  wage  rate  prevailing  in  the  district  in  which  such  plant 
or  plants  are  located,  provided  such  wage  rates  have  been  established 

[36] 


through  agreements  between  employer  and  employees  and  are  admitted  to 
be  equitable.  Consideration  shall  be  given  by  the  Board  to  any  circum- 
stances arising  after  such  wages,  hours,  or  conditions  were  established  and 
which  may  seem  to  call  for  changes  in  wages,  hours,  or  conditions.  Where 
no  such  agreements  exist  and  where,  as  in  the  case  of  new  industrial  dis- 
tricts, a  proper  basis  of  wages  and  conditions  is  difficult  to  determine,  the 
Board  shall  have  the  right  to  put  into  effect  the  rates  which  were  awarded 
after  due  investigation  and  determination  in  other  districts  in  which  living 
conditions  and  cost  of  living  are  substantially  the  same.  The  Board  shall 
keep  itself  fully  informed  as  to  the  relation  between  living  costs  in  the  sev- 
eral districts  and  their  comparison  between  progressive  periods  of  time. 
The  decisions  of  the  Board  shall,  under  proper  conditions,  be  retroac- 
tive, and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Board  to  make  the  decision  effective. 
At  any  time  after  six  months  have  elapsed  following  such  ratified  agree- 
ment or  any  such  final  decision  by  the  adjustment  board  on  any  question 
as  to  wages,  hours  or  conditions  in  any  plant  or  district,  such  questions 
may  be  reopened  by  the  Board  for  adjustment  upon  request  of  the  major- 
ity of  the  craft  or  crafts  at  such  plant  affected  by  such  agreement  or  de- 
cision, provided  it  can  be  shown  that  there  has  been  a  general  and  ma- 
terial increase  in  the  cost  of  living.  The  decisions  of  the  Board  will,  in 
so  far  as  this  memorandum  may  be  capable  of  achieving  such  result,  be 
final  and  binding  on  all  parties." 

Periodic  readjustment  of  awards  was  thus  provided  for.  Al- 
though the  agreement  of  December  8  expressly  states  that  the 
United  States  Navy  Yards  shall  not  be  included  within  the  province 
of  the  Board  and  that  standards  set  by  the  Board  shall  not  be  con- 
sidered as  precedents  for  Government  yards,  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  in 
all  navy  yards  the  Board's  awards  have  been  made  effective  by  ex- 
ecutive order  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Application,  Enforcement  and  Appeal: 

In  every  district  local  examiners  were  appointed  to  assist  the 
Board  in  the  adjustment  of  local  disputes  with  power  to  act,  only 
after  reference  to  the  Board.  Local  grievances  were  handled  by 
complaints  carried  to  the  general  shop  committee  for  adjustment  by 
the  superintendent  and  if  possible,  to  the  higher  officials  of  the  com- 
pany through  a  representative  chosen  by  the  shop  committee.  From 
this  third  conference  appeal  might  be  taken  to  the  examiner  ap- 
pointed by  the  Board,  who  took  all  disputes  which  he  could  adjust 
directly  to  the  Board.  Either  side  had  the  right  of  appeal  from  any 
decision  of  the  Board  to  a  board  of  review  composed  of  six  mem- 

[37] 


bers,  three  members  named  jointly  by  the  United  States  Shipping 
Board,  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  and  the  United  States  Navy, 
and  three  members  named  by  the  President  of  the  American  Fed- 
eration of  Labor. 

Industrial  Relations  Division  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Cor- 
poration : 

Leon  C.  Marshall,  Director. 

The  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  maintained  a  number  of  sec- 
tions dealing  with  labor  which  were  known  in  the  organization  as  the 
Industrial  Relations  Division.  It  was  the  purpose  of  these  sections 
to  deal  with  the  various  labor  problems  as  they  affected  the  work  of 
the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation.  According  to  the  director,  the 
policies  controlling  the  Industrial  Relations  Division  were  and  could 
be  only  those  of  the  nation  as  a  whole.  Therefore  the  Division  ac- 
cepted the  principles  and  policies  set  forth  in  the  report  of  the  War 
Labor  Board  and  the  subsequent  rulings  and  resolutions  of  the  War 
Labor  Policies  Board.  In  this  connection  it  may  be  noted  that  Mr. 
Charles  Piez  represented  the  Fleet  Corporation  on  the  War  Labor 
Policies  Board.  The  following  were  the  various  sections  which 
constituted  the  Industrial  Relations  Division : 

Industrial  Service  Section: 

The  functions  of  this  Service  were  to  cooperate  with  the  United 
States  Employment  Service  in  finding  men  available  for  shipyard 
work  and  in  seeing  that  they  were  placed  in  contact  with  yards  and 
plants  needing  them ;  to  show  new  shipyards  how  to  employ  men  and 
to  show  the  officials  of  these  yards  the  desirability  of  giving  each 
worker  the  job  for  which  he  was  best  adapted.  The  Section  was 
also  concerned  with  securing  exemptions  for  skilled  and  irreplace- 
able workers.  It  registered  all  men  who  should  have  been  ex- 
empted from  military  service  on  the  ground  of  their  skill  in  some 
particular  work  connected  with  shipbuilding. 

Health  and  Sanitation  Section: 

Representatives  of  this  Section  kept  in  touch  with  the  yards  to 
see  that  the  general  conditions  affecting  the  health  of  the  workers 
were  maintained.  This  Section  had  been  necessitated  by  the  over- 
crowded conditions  in  some  of  the  shipping  districts  and  by  the 

[38] 


fact  that  many  of  the  yards  were  located  in  marshy  territory,  which 
required  special  safeguards  for  the  preservation  of  sanitary  condi- 
tions. 

Education  and  Training  Section : 

This  Section  had  for  its  purpose  the  establishment  of  classes  for 
the  instruction  of  workers  in  the  more  technical  branches  of  ship- 
yard work.  It  aimed  to  meet  the  ever  increasing  demand  for  skilled 
workers  and  to  train  journeymen  for  experts  and  apprentices  to  re- 
place the  journeymen. 

Labor  Administration  Section: 

This  Section  cooperated  with  the  Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment 
Board  in  bringing  about  an  enforcement  of  its  decisions  in  the  ship- 
yards, and  in  stabilizing  employment  by  checking  competitive  bid- 
ding for  men.  It  was  also  charged  with  the  duty  of  listening  to  the 
claims  of  employer  and  employee  and  settling,  or  indicating  how  it 
was  possible  to  settle,  all  the  disputes  that  might  arise  between  them. 

Safety  Engineering  Section: 

District  safety  engineers  were  appointed  to  carry  on  campaigns 
for  accident  prevention  in  all  the  yards. 


[39] 


UNITED  STATES  RAILROAD  ADMINISTRATION 
W.  G.  McAdoo,  Director-General 

Division  of  Labor: 

W.  S.  Carter,  Director. 

Formerly  President  of  Brotherhood  of  Loco- 
motive Engineers  and  Firemen. 

Personnel : 

THE  officers  of  this  Bureau  included  the  Director  and  two  As- 
sistant Directors  —  J.  A.  Franklin  and  G.  W.  W.  Hanger. 
With  them  were  associated  representatives  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Labor,  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  and  the  Ship- 
ping Board  —  Mr.  William  Blackman,  Mr.  John  .A.  Moffitt  and 
Mr.  A.  M.  Banks. 

Purpose  and  Function: 

Circular  No.  3,  dated  August  30,  1918,  signed  by  W.  S.  Carter, 
Director,  Division  of  Labor,  defines  the  functions  and  methods  of 
his  division  in  the  following  words : 

"  Requests  by  employees  for  increases  in  wages,  in  addition  to  increases 
provided  for  in  wage  orders,  will  be  filed  only  with  the  Board  of  Rail- 
road Wages  and  Working  Conditions,  to  which  Board  has  been  assigned 
the  duty  of  hearing,  and  investigating  such  matters,  as  provided  in  Article 
VII  of  General  Order  No.  27. 

"  When  employees  are  represented  by  Railway  Boards  of  Adjustment, 
the  procedure  as  to  all  controversies  within  the  scope  of  their  duties  will 
be  as  directed  in  general  orders  creating  such  Boards.  The  fact  that 
certain  employees  are  not  represented  by  Railway  Boards  of  Adjustment 
will  in  no  manner  deprive  them  of  any  of  the  benefits  accruing  from  such 
Boards. 

"  Requests  for  adjustments  in  wages  by  employees  not  represented  by 
Railway  Boards  of  Adjustment,  which  requests  are  based  upon  existing 
practices  or  adjustments  reached  through  former  arbitrations  and  set- 
tlements, will  be  presented  to  the  proper  officials  of  the  railroads,  and 
negotiations  will  be  conducted  in  the  usual  manner  up  to  the  chief  operat- 
ing officer,  or  officer  designated  by  him.  Should  no  agreement  be  reached, 
and  it  appear  to  be  necessary  to  take  the  matter  further,  a  joint  statement 
of  facts  (in  duplicate)  will  be  prepared  by  the  representatives  of  the  em- 
ployees concerned  and  the  proper  officials  of  the  railroad,  and  submittecj  to 

[40] 


the  Director  of  the  Division  of  Labor  of  the  United  States  Railroad  Ad- 
ministration. 

"  Attached  to  such  joint  statement  of  facts  will  be  such  brief  arguments 
by  both  parties  to  the  controversy  as  is  believed  desirable  by  those  con- 
cerned. When  an  adjustment  is  not  then  reached  through  correspond- 
ence, a  Representative  will  be  assigned  to  investigate,  and  if  by  his  assist- 
ance no  agreement  is  then  reached,  the  matter  in  controversy  will  be  re- 
ferred again  to  the  Director  of  the  Division  of  Labor. 

"  Personal  grievances  or  controversies  arising  under  interpretation  of 
wage  agreements,  and  all  other  disputes  arising  between  officials  of  a  rail- 
road and  its  employees  not  represented  by  Railway  Boards  of  Adjustment, 
will  be  handled  in  the  usual  manner  by  the  individual,  his  representative, 
or  by  committees  of  employees,  up  to  and  including  the  chief  operating  of- 
ficer of  the  railroad,  or  officer  designated  by  him,  when,  if  an  agreement 
is  not  reached,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  employees  and  the  of- 
ficer of  the  railroad  will  refer  the  matter  to  the  Director  of  the  Division 
of  Labor,  in  the  same  manner  as  provided  in  Paragraph  (one  preceding) 
of  this  circular. 

"  When  an  employee,  or  class  of  employees,  is  not  represented  by  com- 
mittees, and  negotiations  can  not  be  conducted  in  the  usual  manner,  mat- 
ters of  complaint  will  be  taken  up  with  the  proper  officials  of  the  railroad. 
When  such  employee  or  employees  desire  to  appeal  to  the  Director  General, 
a  complete  statement  of  the  cause  of  complaint  will  be  filed  by  such  em- 
ployee or  employees  with  the  Director  of  the  Division  of  Labor.  When  an 
adjustment  is  not  reached  through  correspondence,  a  Representative  will 
be  assigned  to  investigate,  and  if  by  his  assistance  no  agreement  is  then 
reached,  the  matter  in  controversy  will  be  referred  again  to  the  Director 
of  the  Division  of  Labor. 

"  Where  working  conditions  are  not  agreed  upon  by  Committees  of 
employees  and  the  officials  of  the  railroads,  a  joint  statement  of  the  points 
at  issue  will  be  prepared  and  filed  with  the  Director  of  the  Division  of 
Labor,  attaching  thereto  such  brief  arguments  as  may  be  desired.  When 
an  adjustment  is  not  then  reached  through  correspondence  a  Representa- 
tive will  be  assigned  to  investigate,  and  if  by  his  assistance  no  agreement 
is  then  reached,  the  matter  in  controversy  will  be  referred  again  to  the 
Director  of  the  Division  of  Labor." 

Railroad  Wage  Commission : 

Creation : 

This  Board  was  created  by  the  Director-General  by  order  of 
January  18,  1918,  "to  make  a  general  investigation  of  the  compen- 
sation of  persons  in  the  railroad  service,  the  relation  of  railroad 
wages  to  wages  in  other  industries,  the  conditions  respecting  wages 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  the  especial  emergency  respecting 


wages  which  exists  at  this  time  owing  to  war  conditions  and  high 
cost  of  living,  as  well  as  the  relation  between  different  classes  of  rail- 
road labor."  Franklin  K.  Lane,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  C.  G. 
McChord,  J.  Harry  Covington,  and  W.  R.  Wilcox  constituted  the 
Commission. 

The  Wage  Commission  automatically  passed  out  of  existence  af- 
ter submitting  a  report  on  April  30,  1918,  which  fixed  wage  scales, 
defined  their  application  and  discussed  the  employment  of  women 
and  children.  It  declared  for  equal  pay  for  equal  work  for  men 
and  women  and  recommended  a  permanent  tribunal  to  continue  the 
study  of  railroad  problems.  The  report  was  accepted  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Adoo  on  May  25,  1918,  and  in  accord  with  its  suggestions  he  ap- 
pointed under  General  Order  No.  27  such  a  permanent  tribunal 
under  the  designation  of: 

Board  of  Railroad  Wages  and  Working  Conditions : 
Purpose,  Function  and  Personnel: 

"  There  is  hereby  appointed  a  board  of  railroad  wages  and  work- 
ing conditions  which  shall  consist  of  the  following  members :  J.  J. 
Dermody,  F.  F.  Gaines,  C.  E.  Lindsey,  W.  E.  Morse,  G.  H.  Sines, 
and  A.  O.  Wharton. 

"  This  board  shall  at  once  establish  an  office  at  Washington,  D. 
C.,  and  meet  for  organization  and  elect  a  chairman  and  vice-chair- 
man, one  of  whom  shall  preside  at  meetings  of  the  board. 

"  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board  to  hear  and  investigate  mat- 
ters presented  by  railroad  employees  or  their  representatives  af- 
fecting: 

(1)  Inequalities  as  to  wages  and  working  conditions,  whether  as  to 
individual  employees  or  classes  of  employees. 

(2)  Conditions  arising  from  competition  with  employees  in  other  in- 
dustries. 

(3)  Rules   and   working   conditions   for   the   several   classes   of   em- 
ployees, either  for  the  country  as  a  whole  or  for  different  parts  of  the 
country. 

"  The  board  shall  also  hear  and  investigate  other  matters  affect- 
ing wages  and  conditions  of  employment  referred  to  it  by  the  Di- 
rector-General. 

"  This  board  shall  be  solely  an  advisory  body  and  shall  submit  its 
recommendations  to  the  Director-General  for  his  determination." 

[42] 


Board  of  Adjustment  No.  i : 

For  the  purpose  of  adjusting  disputes  not  directly  connected  with 
wage  rates  and  hours  of  service  between  organized  employees  and 
the  railroads,  boards  of  adjustment  referred  to  in  Circular  No.  3 
were  formed  along  the  following  lines: 

By  agreement  signed  by  three  regional  directors  of  railroads  and 
W  R.  Stone,  W.  R.  Lee,  A.  B.  Garretson,  and  Timothy  Shea,  rep- 
resenting the  Railway  Brotherhoods,  it  was  determined  that  a  com- 
mission should  be  created,  known  as  Board  of  Adjustment  No.  i,  to 
consist  of  eight  members,  four  to  be  selected  by  the  regional  di- 
rectors and  paid  by  the  corporations,  and  four  by  the  Brotherhoc 
chiefs  and  paid  by  the  Brotherhoods. 

The  Commission  was  empowered  to  adjust  disputes  arising  out 
of  the  application  of  the  eight-hour  law  and  to  make  interpretations 
of  wage  agreements.  According  to  the  wording  of  the  agreement, 
"  the  broad  question  of  hours  and  wages  will  be  considered  by  the 
Railroad  Wage  Commission." 

Claims  came  before  the  Board  under  the  following  method 

procedure : 

"  Personal  grievances  or  controversies  arising  under  interpretation  of 
wage  agreements,  and  all  other  disputes  arising  between  officials  of  a  rail- 
road and  of  its  employees,  covered  by  this  understanding  will  be  handle 
in  their  usual  manner  by  general  committees  of  the  employees,  up  to  and 
including  the  chief  operating  officer  of  the  railroad  (or  some  one  officially 
designated  by  him),  when,  if  an  agreement  is  not  reached,  the  chairman 
of  the  general  committee  of  employees  may  refer  the  matter  to  the  chief 
executive  officer  of  the  organization  concerned,  and  if  the  contention  ot 
the  employees'  committee  is  approved  by  such  executive  officer,  then  the 
chief  operating  officer  of  the  railroad  and  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the 
organization  concerned  shall  refer  the  matter,  with  all  supporting  papers, 
to  the  director  of  the  division  of  labor  of  the  United  States  railroad  ad- 
ministration, who  will  in  turn  present  the  case  to  the  railway  board 
adjustment  No.  i,  which  board  shall  promptly  hear  and  decide  the  case, 
giving  due  notice  to  the  chief  operating  officer  of  the  railroad  interested 
and  to  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the  organization  concerned  of  the  t 
set  for  hearing." 

The  agreement  was  made  effective  by  General  Order  No.  13,  is- 
sued by  the  Director-General. 


[43l 


Railroad  Board  of  Adjustment  No.  2 : 

Creation : 

This  Board  created  by  a  second  agreement  of  u  further  under- 
standing "  was  composed  of  twelve  members,  u  six  to  be  elected  by 
the  regional  directors  and  compensated  by  the  railroads,  and  one 
each  by  the  chief  executive  officer  of  each  of  the  six  organizations 
of  employees  signatory  to  the  agreement  and  to  be  compensated  by 
such  organizations." 

Personnel : 

The  signers  of  the  agreement  for  the  workers  were : 

J.   F.  ANDERSON, 

For  the  International  Association  of  Machinists. 

LOUIS  WEYAND, 

For  the  International  Brotherhood  of  Boilermakers,  Iron  Shipbuilders  and 

Helpers  of  America. 
G.  C.  VAN  DORNES, 

For  the  International  Brotherhood  of  Blacksmiths  and  Helpers. 
F.  R.  KNIGHT, 

For  the  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen. 
O.  E.  HOARD, 

For  the  Amalgamated  Sheet  Metal  Workers'  International  Alliance. 
F.  J.  McNULTY, 

President  of  the  International  Brotherhood  of  Electrical  Workers. 

The  agreement  was  made  effective  by  General  Order  No.  20,  is- 
sued by  the  Director-General  of  the  Railroads  on  May  31,  1918. 

Purpose  and  Function: 

The  new  agreement  was  almost  identical  with  the  earlier  agree- 
ment creating  Adjustment  Board  No.  i.  It  dealt  with  the  settle- 
ment of  labor  problems  arising  among  workers  in  railway  shops  and 
among  carmen  as  distinguished  from  transportation  employees. 

Railroad  Board  of  Adjustment  No.  3 : 

This  third  board  of  adjustment  was  intended  to  deal  with  griev- 
ances arising  among  railroad  employees  in  the  division  of  main- 
tenance of  way,  switchmen  and  signal  maintainers,  among  the  cler- 
ical workers  and  among  the  telegraph  operators.  It  functioned  un- 
der an  agreement  similar  to  that  creating  Adjustment  Board  No.  i, 
with  duties  and  methods  based  on  similar  lines. 

Railway  Boards  of  Adjustment  dealt  with  grievances  only  when 
such  grievances  were  presented  through  the  Division  of  Labor. 
These  disputes  were  referred  through  this  Division  for  the  purpose 

[44] 


of  record  and  uniformity.     Grievances  were  not  presented  to  th* 
Board  of  Railroad  Wages  and  Working  Conditions. 

Women's  Service  Section: 

Miss  Pauline  Goldmark,  Manager 
Creation : 

By  circular  No.  2  of  the  Director  of  the  Division  of  Labor,  dated 
August  28,  1918,  as  follows: 

"  Effective  August  29th,  the  Women's  Service  Section  of  the  Division 
of  Labor  is  hereby  created  and  Miss  Pauline  Goldmark  is  appointed 
Manager  with  office  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

"  The  Manager  of  the  Women's  Service  Section  will  give  considera- 
tion to  conditions  of  employment  of  women  on  railroads  under  Federal 
control." 


[45] 


UNITED  STATES  FUEL  ADMINISTRATION 
Harry  A.  Garfield,  Administrator. 

Bureau  of  Labor : 

Mr.  John  P.  White 

Creation : 


•n/r     T^      1.          -r.     i      .Joint  Directors. 
Mr.  Rembrant  Peale    ' J 


THIS  Bureau  was  created  through  an  agreement  between 
the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator  and  the  officials  of 
the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America  by  which  "  a  com- 
plete understanding  was  reached  wherein  all  questions  pertaining  to 
labor  in  the  coal  mining  industry  will  remain  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator.  .  .  .  This  is  in  ac- 
cord with  an  understanding  previously  reached  between  the  Secre- 
tary of  Labor  and  the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator.  It  being 
understood  that  whenever  the  Federal  Government  is  called  on  to 
intervene  or  of  its  own  motion  intervenes  in  the  settlement  of  such 
questions  (relating  to  labor  in  the  coal  mining  industry)  whether 
in  organized  or  unorganized  fields,  jurisdiction  shall  remain  for  the 
present  and  until  otherwise  arranged,  in  the  hands  of  the  United 
States  Fuel  Administrator." 

To  make  this  understanding  effective  Mr.  Garfield  appointed  Mr. 
John  P.  White,  until  then  president  of  the  United  Mine  Workers, 
and  Mr.  Rembrant  Peale,  coal  operator  for  Central  Pennsylvania, 
joint  heads  of  the  Bureau  of  Labor  with  power  to  consider  and  dis- 
pose of  all  matters  concerning  labor  in  the  industry  properly  com- 
ing before  the  Fuel  Administration. 

Policies : 

The  policies  of  the  Fuel  Administration  in  regard  to  labor 
questions  were  determined  at  a  meeting  at  which  were  present: 
Mr.  Frank  J.  Hayes,  president;  Mr.  John  L.  Lewis,  vice-presi- 
dent; Mr.  William  Green,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America;  and  Mr.  White  and  Mr. 
Peale,  representing  the  Fuel  Administration.  They  are  sum- 
marized in  the  following  outline : 

"  The  United  States  Fuel  Administrator  understands 

"  (a)   That  no  strike  shall  take  place  pending  the  settlement  of 


any  controversy  until  the  dispute  has  been  reviewed  and  decided  by 
him. 

"  (b)  That  recognition  of  the  Unions  shall  not  be  exacted  during 
the  continuance  of  the  war  except  where  now  recognized  by  collec- 
tive bargaining. 

"  (c)  That  where,  by  joint  contract  between  employer  and  em- 
ployed, machinery  is  provided  for  the  settlement  of  controversies, 
the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator  shall  not  be  required  to  inter- 
vene or  to  mediate  until  such  means  have  been  invoked  and  the 
remedy  exhausted  without  reaching  adjustment. 

"  (d)  That  where  the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator  inter- 
venes, substantially,  the  principles,  provisions  and  practices  laid  down 
in  the  Maryland  and  Upper  Potomac  Settlement  of  May  6th,  1918, 
shall  be  accepted  by  the  workers,  and  employers  and  their  chosen 
representatives,  as  sufficient. 

"  On  the  basis  of  the  foregoing  understanding  which  he  regards 
as  just  and  imperative  in  the  present  crisis,  the  United  States  Fuel 
Administrator  has  insisted  and  will  continue  to  insist  that  any  ad- 
justment of  labor  questions  in  the  coal  mining  industry,  whether  by 
joint  agreement  between  operators  and  mine  workers  or  by  agree- 
ments severally  made  with  the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator, 
shall  embody  wherever  applicable  and  substantially,  the  principles, 
provisions  and  practices  laid  down  in  the  Maryland  and  Upper  Po- 
tomac Settlement  of  May  6th,  1918,  and  recognizes  the  authority  of 
the  International  Union  of  Mine  Workers  in  the  organized  fields 
and  their  jurisdiction  over  controversies  arising  in  said  fields.  More 
specifically,  the  United  States  Fuel  Administrator  has  insisted  and 
will  continue  to  insist  in  all  such  settlements 

11  (a)  That  employers  will  be  required  to  relinquish  the  right  to 
discharge  employees  because  of  affiliation  with  labor  unions. 

"  (b)  That  employers  will  be  required  to  recognize  the  right  of 
their  employees  to  organize  by  peaceful  methods  that  do  not  interrupt 
production. 

"  (c)  That  the  so-called  automatic  penalty  clause  now  in  force 
being  regarded  by  mine  workers  as  a  cardinal  principle  of  collective 
bargaining  during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  will  be  included  in 
all  agreements  as  a  condition  precedent  to  the  allowance  of  increased 
price  permitted  to  operators. 

11  (d)  That  where  the  union  shop  now  exists,  the  same  shall  con- 
tinue and  where  union  and  non-union  men  work  together,  the  con- 
tinuance of  such  condition  shall  not  be  deemed  a  grievance." 

A  Message  to  Mine  Workers: 

Issued  by  the  Director  of  the  Production  Bureau  of  the 
Fuel  Administration  on  August  7,   1918,  announced  the  ap- 

[47] 


pointment  of  a  production  manager  in  each  of  the  producing 
districts  of  the  country,  who  should  assist  in  the  choosing  of 
mine-committees,  composed  of  six  members,  representing  espe- 
cially the  workers  and  the  operators  at  every  mine  where  such 
a  joint  committee  might  be  deemed  advisable. 

Mine  Committees: 

Created  in  order  to  increase  production  through  the  stimula- 
tion of  patriotism,  in  order  to  make  use  of  the  best  forms  of 
publicity  to  inform  the  operatives  of  the  needs  of  the  nation. 
Causes  for  decreased  output  were  investigated  by  them  and  re- 
ported to  the  district  production  manager.  The  appointment 
of  these  committees  was  a  step  toward  greater  democracy  in 
the  methods  of  mine  management  and  direct  increase  in  pro- 
duction was  thereby  looked  for.  They  did  not  deal  with 
questions  of  hours  or  wages. 

The  Fuel  Administration  was  represented  on  the  War  Labor  Pol- 
icies Board  by  Mr.  John  P.  White. 


UNITED  STATES  FOOD  ADMINISTRATION 
Bureau  of  Labor: 

NO  bureau  of  labor  or  industrial  service  section  of  the  Food 
Administration  was  officially  created  as  there  had  been 
little  need  for  such  an  agency.  The  Food  Administration 
made  no  contracts  and  did  not  directly  come  into  contact  with 
labor  problems.  Whatever  problems  concerning  labor  did  arise  in 
the  course  of  the  Food  Administration's  work  were  referred  to  Pro- 
fessor M.  B.  Hammond,  who  represented  the  Administration  on  the 
War  Labor  Policies  Board.  Professor  Hammond  also  dealt  with 
all  questions  regarding  deferred  classifications  and  industrial  fur- 
loughs and  rendered  decisions  on  such  questions  referred  to  him  by 
the  local  food  administrators. 

[48] 


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